Maintenance

Why is maintenance important?

Regular maintenance on your air conditioning system is important to maintaining Healthy Air Quality inside your home.  Like so many mechanical systems in our homes, air conditioners often go ignored until a problem arises.

But this shouldn’t be the case!

Neglecting routine maintenance leads to decreased efficiency, reduced air quality and can often ultimately lead to premature failure – leading to potentially expensive repairs!

At Airomania, we advise all air conditioner owners to have their system inspected annually by a qualified technician. We regularly provide our clients with the highest quality inspections and maintenance to prevent any problems and to ensure their air conditioning system operates at its best.

In addition to an annual service, it’s important to check on a couple of things every month during the cooling season. This is something you can do yourself in just a few minutes.

The below checklist demonstrates what a routine air conditioning maintenance call should include:

Annual Air Conditioner Maintenance Checklist
  1. Clean the outdoor condenser coils and indoor evaporator units
    The coil is made up of the refrigerant lines and surrounding radiator-like fins that line the cabinet of your outdoor A/C unit. The evaporator is the interior counterpart to the outdoor unit and has its own coil. Dirt and debris on the coils reduce efficiency and stress the system’s mechanical parts.
  2. Check the refrigerant level
    An incorrect amount of refrigerant makes a compressor work too hard, reducing the efficiency and longevity of the system.
  3. Check the drains
    Drains must be unobstructed and clean to ensure excess moisture is not trapped in the units or inside the house.
  4. Check outdoor fan motor and blades and indoor blower assembly
    The fan on the outdoor unit pulls air in through the coil fins. The indoor blower is the fan unit (motor, fan wheel and housing) on your furnace. Older blowers may include a drive belt that should be inspected and adjusted or replaced as needed.
  5. Check compressor and refrigerant tubing
    If the refrigerant tubing is blocked or leaking, they won’t deliver enough coolant to the compressor, which will cause the compressor to work harder, which will eventually cause the compressor to fail. (Same idea as #2 above.)
  6. Lubricate moving parts (as applicable)
    Older A/C units often have ports on fan motors, compressors and other parts for adding lubrication periodically. Newer models typically have sealed parts that don’t need to be lubricated.
  7. Inspect all electrical controls, wiring and connections
    All electrical components and hook-ups should be checked for soundness, wear and damage.
  8. Inspect and clean or replace air filters
    A clogged filter restricts air flow to the system so that the motor runs without producing any results. Clean or change the filter as necessary. Then continue inspecting the filter every month. Using a clean filter can reduce your air conditioning costs by as much as 15 percent.
  9. Run a general system test
    A duct inspection is not needed every year and may not be included with a standard system check-up, but air leakage in ductwork is one of the main causes of inefficiency in forced-air A/C and heating systems. It’s a good idea to have your ductwork assessed and sealed and/or insulated in problem areas, as needed.
  10. Check ductwork for leaks and other problems
    Your technician should turn on the A/C system to check operating functions such as the starting cycle and shut-off control, check for unusual noises or odours, and measure indoor/outdoor temperatures and system pressures as needed.