The Best Ways to Avoid HVAC Repairs This Summer

Are you excited for summer? Of course you are! But part of the reason you’re ready to enjoy the heat is that you know you can retreat to your cool, comfortable home when you need to. It would really spoil your fun if your air conditioner broke down and you had to wait in an overheated house for someone to come fix it.

What are the best HVAC maintenance tips to avoid summer repairs?

• Schedule professional maintenance before peak season
• Clean coils and check refrigerant levels regularly
• Replace or clean air filters every 30–60 days
• Inspect and tighten electrical connections
• Keep outdoor units clear of debris and obstructions

Would you like to know the best ways to protect your HVAC system and make sure it’s ready to work hard all summer? We’ve got some tips for you.

Top Maintenance Tips to Prevent Summer HVAC Breakdowns

Some estimates suggest 85% of repairs you would otherwise need can be entirely avoided with routine professional maintenance. For an air conditioner or a heater, maintenance should be performed once a year. This is generally done just before the season when it will be used most heavily, spring for AC units and fall for heating systems. Ductless mini-split systems are an exception—they may need it more often.

However, the season is not the critical part: having it done every year is what really matters. If you have a heat pump which you use all year, heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, it is doing twice the work of a single-season appliance and will require maintenance twice a year.

Why Professional HVAC Maintenance Minimizes Summer Repairs

When your AC technician arrives to do maintenance, they will take many steps to ensure the air conditioner is in top condition. Components are cleaned and inspected, moving parts are lubricated, electrical connections are tested, and every detail of the system is carefully attended to. This protects the system and prevents things from going wrong. Here are a few of the main ways it does that:

• Removing Grime: Dust and dirt accumulate inside the air conditioner over the course of a year. This can reduce airflow and add friction to moving parts. The wear and tear it causes can be significant, and it can even put strain on the compressor, the most expensive and often irreplaceable component. When your technician cleans all the components, this grime is removed, cutting down on these risks. 
• Adding Lubricant: Moving parts such as fans and motors experience friction. Without lubrication, they won’t glide smoothly, and the system will have to work harder to accomplish the same amount of cooling. Fan motors can even burn out from the heat caused by this friction. Each year, your technician will lubricate these parts.
• Catching Problems Early: If something small is starting to go wrong, your technician will catch it during maintenance. A wobbling fan or a belt sliding out of position is easily fixed at that point. If it’s not caught early, parts can come completely loose, potentially damaging other components as well, requiring significant HVAC repair in Ashburn, VA.

DIY HVAC Maintenance You Can Do Before Calling a Technician

Each month during the season when you’re using your air conditioner regularly, you should clean your air filter. This prevents dust from entering the system and ensures good airflow so it works well, doesn’t have to strain harder to accomplish the task of cooling, and won’t overheat. You can also check out this helpful HVAC filter cleaning FAQ to make sure you’re handling it correctly.

AllTech Services, Inc. is your trusted resource for AC maintenance and repair. Contact us today!