How Often Should Air Conditioner Be Serviced?

The air conditioner is one of the products of today’s technological advancement which is essential to provide great comfort and improve air quality inside our home environment. It also makes the air cleaner as it eliminates pollutions like smoke, dust, and smells.

While air conditioners nowadays are without a doubt much efficient than the older models, just like any other appliances and home equipment, it may break down soon due to frequent usage. It also needs some monitoring and care, as it needs to be maintained and cleaned to avoid emergency repairs.

Importance of Maintenance

The first importance of maintenance is to monitor and maintain your air conditioning unit to be working at its best. According to statistics, your air-conditioning unit loses 5% of its efficiency annually. To avoid that big of a loss, regular maintenance is a must.

Frequent monitoring and maintenance also let you avoid small problems in your unit that might turn into bigger ones if left ignored. Remember, repairing it immediately will always cost you less than repairing it later when it has already worsened. 

Frequency of Maintenance

On average, the maintenance should be once a year if you don’t see or suspect any potential problem in your unit. However, a unit gets dirty much often. Always inspect and open the air filter to clean or replace it depending on how dirty it is. This should be done once or twice a month. A dirty unit also loses some of its efficiency as dirt can get stuck inside and cause different problems.

In cleaning, you can always do it yourself. Seek help from your owner’s manual. If you are afraid that you might damage your unit upon cleaning it, you can always call your trusted HVAC contractor for help. 

Cost of Maintenance

Annual maintenance is arranged with a schedule and contract. If you don’t have any, a diagnostic test or inspection will cost you around $80 to $100, while annual service costs will range from $150 to $300. If your unit has some parts that need replacements, it will cost you extra. 

However, the prices stated above are just estimates. Contact and talk to your trusted HVAC contractor to ask about their rates and see if you can get discounts. Remember, annual maintenance will always cost you less in the long run than what you might need to spend on emergency repairs. 

And these are the importance of maintenance. Remember that any house equipment should be maintained regularly to avoid unexpected miseries.