Air conditioners are one of those many household HVAC units meant to last for years at a time, along with water heaters, furnaces, and even heat pumps. However, they don't last that long on their own. They need to be maintained regularly to keep them in working order and to keep your home well ventilated and cooled over time. You can perform air conditioning maintenance by cleaning or replacing the filter, protecting the unit from debris, and calling a professional when the job is too hard or complicated to work on yourself.

Clean or Replace the Filter

The most important thing you can do to keep any air conditioning unit in top working order is to clean or replace the filter regularly. The filters of an AC unit allow for the intake of air without the intake of debris that could cause allergic reactions or foul odors, and over time they tend to collect this debris and dust. As such, clogged filters are less able to do their job, and air conditioners have to work harder to take in the same amount of air. This can raise your electricity bill as well. Make sure to replace or filter (or clean it, if washable) as often as you need to, which depends on the filter you have.

AC Unit Protection

The second most important method to keeping your AC unit maintained is to keep the unit free from debris and clutter. The more open the space around the unit is, the easier it is for your air conditioner to function and the less likely clogs or build-ups of dirt and dust can form. For example, the coils on your air conditioner unit can become covered in dust very easily, which makes it harder for them to cool the air your AC uses. Additionally, cluttered areas around your AC unit can make it harder for you to replace your filter or for a professional to do any work on it.

Leave Important Things to the Professional

Finally, one of the most important parts of managing any air conditioner is making sure that you leave important, complicated, or dangerous elements of your air conditioning unit to the professionals. For example, don't mess with any wiring in your air conditioner without a license, and if you find coolant has spilled or is leaking then leave that alone as well. Wiring is dangerous to work with even for experienced electricians, and coolant is toxic. Additionally, attempting to fix complicated machinery yourself can lead to costly mistakes. Hire an air conditioning service instead.

If you need air conditioning maintenance beyond simple filter or clutter issues, call an HVAC service near you today.

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