How You May Be Accidentally Shortening the Life of Your AC
May 23, 2016

An AC that receives regular maintenance and repairs whenever it needs them should last between 10 to 15 years. But there are ways that you can be shortening the service life of your home’s air conditioner and not even realize it. These are fairly simply mistakes and easy to correct once you know about them.

Forgetting to regularly change/clean the air filter

Your air conditioner’s indoor cabinet has an air filter on it (usually where the return air duct connects to the cabinet) that you can slide out in order to clean or replace it, depending on whether the HVAC system uses a permanent or temporary filter. Check on this filter once a month to see that it isn’t clogged with debris. If it is, clean or replace it. You’ll probably need to do this every 1 to 3 months, depending on your home and the quality of the filter. If you don’t, the clogged filter will choke off airflow into the AC and place tremendous strain on the components so that it ages faster. It can also allow dust and dirt inside that will damage the motors.

Allowing the outside cabinet to become blocked

The outdoor cabinet of an AC is the condenser, and it needs a foot on all sides that’s clear of any obstructions such as plants and shrubs. Keep this area trimmed and open, otherwise debris will enter the cabinet and cause damage. Restricting the airflow into the cabinet will also place extra strain on the system.

Closing off indoor air vents

This isn’t a way to save money! Closing the vents won’t lower the amount of work the AC does, it will instead increase the pressure inside the ventilation system—and this can cause damage to the ductwork as well as to the air conditioner itself. If you want to save money by shutting off areas of your house from cooling, you need to arrange to have zone controls put in.

Call on Comfort Zone Heating & Cooling for great air conditioning in Cumming, GA. We offer 24-hour emergency service.

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