What’s An AC Tune Up & What Does It Include?

The Grand Canyon and the Antelope Canyon. The Havasu Falls and the Lava River Cave. The Petrified Forest National Park and Red Rock State Park.

The list of the most amazing national wonders Arizona boasts of goes on and on. No wonder it welcomed a whopping 43 million visitors in 2016.

At the same time, the Grand Canyon State also sees its fair share of weather extremes. Like the time Phoenix hit 118 degrees in July 2017. Or when Lake Havasu City topped out at 128.

It’s times like these the value of an AC tune up really shines. Think about how your air conditioner did during these times. If you didn’t have the system undergo its routine and recommended servicing and maintenance from the pros, odds are, you had such a hard time dealing with the heat.

In this post, we’ll talk about tune ups and why your AC needs them.

Getting to the Bottom of an AC Tune Up

In 2014, the national average of electricity bills reached $114.11. If you think that’s steep, let’s see what you would think of the average in Arizona: $120.51! That’s right, Arizonians dealt with electricity bills 5.6% higher than the rest of the country.

And one reason for this is lack of equipment maintenance. But this is just one part of the problem. Old age, improper service, and faulty parts and components all lead to poor air conditioner performance.

And when an air conditioning system performs poorly, it results in numerous problems. Aside from shocking increases in energy consumption, there’s the drastic reduction in comfort. There’s also the shortened service life of the equipment.

In fact, a malfunctioning space cooler (as well as heater) also pose safety threats.

All these you can avoid when you have your AC maintained properly. There are certain preventive maintenance steps you can do on your own. But to ensure optimal performance, you also need the help and expertise of licensed HVAC technicians.

Making sure your AC works at its peak, preventing problems from worsening, and extending its service life. All these, plus considerable savings you can achieve with regular air conditioning maintenance.

Comprehensive Equipment Inspection

When you hire a trustworthy HVAC technician for a tune-up service, the first thing the pro would do is conduct a thorough inspection. He won’t just start wiping down cables and wires. He’ll need to check every inch and part of the equipment.

To help you have a better understanding of what’s happening, the tech will supply you with a list. This enumerates all components for examination. At the very least, this should include the blower wheel, compressor, condensers, control panel, evaporators, refrigerant, and thermostat.

Pre-Season Check-Ups

One common mistake a lot of air conditioner users make is thinking that because they didn’t use the equipment during winter, it has “rested” enough. This isn’t the case.

It’s actually all the more reason that you need to have the cooler undergo a routine AC tune up. Even government-backed Energy Star recommends a yearly air conditioner check-up right before summer.

Why?

Because as the air conditioning system rested, it also collected dust and debris. The filth in your AC’s evaporator and condenser coils? Those bring down the equipment’s cooling ability.

Dirt also forces your space cooler to run longer, which means increased energy consumption. And as you know, the more energy an equipment uses, the higher the resulting electricity bills. Not to mention the fact that this shortens the air conditioner’s life.

And let’s not forget potential water damage from a plugged condensate drain.

As such, one major part of an air conditioning tune up service is a thorough cleaning of all evaporator and condensate drains. These include the coils, coil fins, and drain channels.

Checking of Refrigerant Levels and Leaks

Many people think that the thermostat is what makes cooling possible. Although it does have a critical role in this, it’s actually the refrigerant responsible for that cool, comforting air.

Refrigerants are liquid agents housed in the AC coils. Despite their liquid nature though, an air conditioner should not “use up” and deplete it refrigerant supply. But there are many situations wherein you may find the system low on these chemicals.

For the most part, leaks have something to do with this. This is an issue that an HVAC technician can spot right away during a tune-up. And it’s something that they can fix right there and then.

Because just simply topping up with refrigerant won’t do much good. Since it’ll just exit through the leaks. That means more repair expenses for you.

Also, unrepaired refrigerant leaks can take a toll on your cooling equipment’s life. Possibly even pose health, safety, and environmental hazards.

Verify All Controls Work Properly

Before wrapping up and heading to their next customer, an HVAC tech will first run your air conditioner after the tune-up. This way, he can make certain that the thermostat works properly and doesn’t take too long to provide adequate cooling. Also, this helps ensure that you (and anyone else in your household) can safely operate all system controls.

The technician then puts back everything in their proper locations. He then performs a final cleaning and dusting and provides you with tips and tricks for at-home maintenance you can do on your own.

Ready to Have Your AC Tuned Up Now?

If so, then we can help. For more than 20 years now, we’ve provided quality maintenance, repair, and installations services through our fully licensed and insured HVAC professionals.

 

As trusted air conditioning contractors in Chandler, the experts at Mark Daniels Air Conditioning & Heating are dedicated to providing exceptional air conditioning tune ups, repairs, and replacements. 

Contact Us today to schedule your AC tune up!