How to Prevent the Need to Replace Your HVAC – What to Know
With the summer heat in Chicago beginning to pick up next month, you can’t afford to postpone your air conditioning maintenance or repair. You don’t want to have your air conditioner break at a time when you really need it. Therefore, you need to hire a certified HVAC technician as early as now to make sure your unit will operate well in this heat.
Have your AC repaired before the spring ends
When you hear strange noises coming from your AC, that means you need to call a professional to come over. This rule also applies when your air conditioner is cooling your room too slowly or when you feel that it is releasing warm air instead of cool air. Some seemingly minor problems can become major ones, and you can prevent this by having a professional do a check-up on your unit. Timeliness translates to savings, which further underscores the importance of routine maintenance.
What your AC’s routine maintenance entails
Routine maintenance involves a professional inspecting your HVAC system for possible damage and obstruction in its ducts. It includes clean-up or replacement of filters as well. Holes in the ducts can mean that your unit is not operating efficiently, which in turn is a waste of money. If the filters aren’t working properly, your air conditioner will have to exert more effort in sucking up air. Any problems with your unit will make your electric bills more expensive. At the same time, such problems will also force your unit to work harder, exposing it to more wear and tear and potentially shortening its operational lifespan.
Your bills and your HVAC aren’t the only things at stake. You need to call a professional to conduct routine maintenance as a matter of healthcare. An HVAC maintenance professional will clean your unit’s ductwork, filters, and interior to reduce allergens and dust and keep the air produced by your unit safe to breathe.
Replacing an old air conditioner
Most air conditioners are designed to last at least ten years. With proper care and routine maintenance, you can extend your unit’s lifespan to fifteen. Nevertheless, you should consider replacing your old conditioner since units become less efficient as they age. If you are planning to buy a new HVAC system, you should choose an air conditioner that’s Energy Star certified by the DOE.
A unit with an Energy Star label means it has been tested to be efficient. The more energy efficient your system is, the more you’ll save on cooling costs. If a unit works efficiently, it also means less wear and tear, which in turn will help your unit last longer. For added efficiency, you should check the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) Rating of your HVAC unit. For an AC system in Chicago, the DOE’s minimum SEER rating is 13. The higher the SEER Rating, the less electricity your air conditioner will use to heat the same amount of air, compared to a unit with less SEER Rating.
If you’re looking for a professional HVAC service to help you with your AC, Elite HVACs is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
