When was the last time you said to yourself, “It’s time to think maintenance on my air conditioner?” Probably not recently or maybe never. Thus, the ol’ saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.”, is very true. So we tend not to think about our indoor comfort system because it’s down in our basement, attic or crawl space. If it’s working and we’re comfortable, we show it very little attention.
That may lead to unforeseen problems down the road. EnergyStar states “Dirt and neglect are the top causes of heating and cooling system inefficiency and failure.” Therefore, as dirt collects on the surface of coils, electrical parts, and the blower wheel, your heating and cooling system becomes less efficient and more prone to unwanted repairs.
Dirt contribute to three harmful conditions:
1. It’s an insulator: It stops heat from transferring away from the electrical components within your system: motors, control boards, and safety switches & wiring can all be damaged
Just a thin layer of dirt on your indoor coil prevents heat transfer from your air to the refrigerant—the process for removing heat from your home or office. Dirt on your outdoor coil prevents heat transfer from your air conditioner or heat pump to the outdoors. This places undue wear on your compressor with longer run times contributing to higher utilities and expensive repairs costs.
2. Dirt decreases the efficiency of your blower: The greater the build up of dirt on your blower wheel fins, the LESS efficient it becomes. Your system will run longer to provide the same amount of work a clean, more efficient system can accomplish. 1/32nd of an inch of grim or dirt can reduce the blower’s efficiency by as much as 20%!
3. Dirt, pet dander, pollen (what is referred to as particulates) collect on your filter—as they should. Airflow is restricted when we forget to change the filter. As this restriction increases, the less efficient your system becomes. A neglected filter change will contribute to frozen coils, cracked heat exchangers, overheated blower motors and compressors.
NEGLECTED, CLOGGED & DIRTY AIR FILTER
CLEAN WASHABLE AIR FILTER
DEADLY CRACKED HEAT EXCHANGER
EnergyStar.gov has an excellent pamphlet “Guide to Energy Efficient Heating & Cooling”. Click the title to read and download this invaluable pamphlet to help you save money now and for years to come!
There’s another ol’ saying, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” is a very stupid saying. It goes right along with “Ignorance is bliss!” Now that you know how maintenance can save you money, help avoid unwanted and costly repairs, and increase the life expectancy of your heating and cooling equipment, would you agree it’s time to think maintenance? If so, schedule your cooling season maintenance visit with Brown’s Heating & Air Conditioning today. Make sure you see our Early Bird Special For 2020!