Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Tag: AC Maintenance

AC maintenance

Warm weather is well on its way to Loveland. Are you ready?

Just because the temperatures increase outdoors, doesn’t mean that you need to be sweating in your home. There are more options for your home than ever before to get high-quality, low-cost heating. We’re going to help you find what’s right for your home.

Today, we’d like to focus on air conditioning maintenance. Air conditioning maintenance is your best bet if you want great air conditioning service this season. We specialize in air conditioning in Loveland, CO. We’re prepared to help you stay cool when it counts.

What Maintenance Does for You?

If you’re wondering what maintenance does for you then you’ve found the right place! We’re going to make things crystal clear today. Maintenance does the following:

Helps You Save Energy

Air conditioning maintenance is often referred to as “preventative maintenance.” This is because it’s a preventative measure. When you opt for maintenance, you’re ensuring that your air conditioner works at optimum capacity before the hardest part of the warm weather season.

Our professionals lubricate your moving parts, ensure that your air conditioner can run properly, and even check for potential repair issues down the line. If we spot something, we say something and get the ball rolling on a repair appointment.

Scheduling an appointment for maintenance now can be the difference between an easy summer and a summer full of upsets and sweltering days indoors.

Helps You Save Money

Saving energy means that you’re saving money too! When you cut out all the efficiency problems you might experience in your home, you’re cutting down on cost. The two go hand-in-hand. It’s why you’ll hear HVAC professionals constantly speak about the importance of efficient energy consumption in a home.

Maintenance appointments cost money, but we can guarantee that investing in routine maintenance will actually save you money in the long run. “In the long run” isn’t an abstract figure pointing too far into the future either, you can see your savings in as soon as this summer.

Protects Your AC

Air conditioners are expensive, and they do a lot of heavy lifting in your home. When summer arrives we know that you’re depending on this system. This is why you should take the time and care to protect this unit. You can prevent a host of trouble with air conditioning maintenance. Having our keen-eyed professionals take a look at your system will keep in in great shape.

Extends Your AC’s Lifespan

Keeping your air conditioner in great shape in the present day also helps your future. An air conditioner that’s well-maintained throughout its lifetime will last long into the future. When you purchase an air conditioner, you want your unit to last you its intended lifespan. This lifespan is about 10 to 15 years. If you want to make sure that you can be cool for the next decade, we’re here to help with whatever you need.

Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule an appointment with our team members.

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Inefficient Air Conditioning

The only thing worse than paying too much to cool your home is doing so without really cooling your home that well. Even if your AC is doing a great job of cooling your house, though, high energy bills are never welcome. So what’s a person to do? Just kick their AC to the curb and spend thousands to replace it with a new, more efficient model?

Well, sure, that’s one way to handle the problem. It’s not the only way, though. Chances are that there are a few much less drastic steps that you can take to boost overall energy efficiency when cooling your home. In fact, it may be as simple a matter as changing some of your own bad habits. And if you do choose some upgrades to your system, they don’t have to be as dramatic as a full system replacement.

 

1. Dirty Air Filters

This is the most frustrating answer for some people to hear. A, because it’s so simple, and B, because it’s no one’s fault but their own! Don’t do your air conditioner a disservice. Keep a fresh filter in place, and you’ll be keeping more cash in your pockets. Wondering how a dirty filter can negatively affect air conditioning in Loveland, CO?

Airflow resistance. When a filter gets too dirty, it creates more airflow resistance than it should. And when excessive airflow resistance is created, the system has to work harder than it should have to in order to force cooled air through the house. And that means you’re paying for more energy to cool your home as a result.

2. Outdated Controls

Take a look at your wall. What does your thermostat look like? An old round dial? A rectangle with sliders on it? If so, then you are seriously due for an upgrade. We’re not trying to sell you on anything that you don’t need. The fact of the matter is that improved controls mean more precise temperature settings. More precise temperature settings mean using energy in a smarter way.

Even a basic digital thermostat is going to get you better energy efficiency. And when you actually start using basic functionality like programmability, you really start to see the savings. Plus, you enjoy greater convenience, too. Set cooling programs, cater them around your schedule, and start living more comfortably without the hassle or the high bills. We have a number of options to consider, and we’ll ensure compatibility.

3. Poor Maintenance Practices

If you are serious about enjoying an efficient, effective, and reliable performance from your AC, then you absolutely need to schedule routine air conditioning maintenance. There is nothing better that you can do for your system.

When an air conditioner is tuned up annually by qualified technicians, it is kept in the best working condition possible. And, when your system is in the best working condition possible, you can expect the best energy efficiency that it has to offer. Take advantage of our Maintenance Program.

Schedule your AC services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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AC Tune-Up

The last thing that any homeowner wants to encounter when the heat of summer is at its worst is an air conditioner that is either broken down completely or which cannot deliver the level of performance quality needed. Unfortunately, despite not wanting these problems, many homeowners put themselves at risk of their development. How? By failing to schedule professional air conditioning maintenance before actually needing their air conditioning systems for the season. Put simply, your AC desperately needs annual tune-ups.

We’ll get more into the reasons for this below, as well as the many benefits of professional AC maintenance. First, though, think of it this way. Your train hard to complete a big footrace one year, and you do so successfully. Then you relax throughout the remainder of the year, fail to train, and try to run that same race again the next year. How do you think your body would hold up? Probably not that well, we’re guessing.

 

Running “Good Enough” Is Not Good Enough!

The biggest mistake that homeowners make regarding air conditioning maintenance is believing that their air conditioner is working at optimal levels just because it’s working, period. Keep in mind that you could probably hobble across that race’s finish line after a year of no training, but you wouldn’t perform nearly as well as you otherwise would have. Your air conditioner may be cooling your home, but it may not be doing so as successfully as it could if it were tuned up properly.

What does this mean for you and your air conditioning system? It means that your air conditioner probably won’t do as good of a job as it should in cooling your home. You may notice uneven cooling throughout your house, or even that your system is starting up and shutting down too frequently. You may also notice that, even though you’re not all that comfortable, your energy bill is higher than it has been previously. That’s another risk of lax maintenance practices—high cooling costs with subpar cooling output! Don’t pay too much for too little comfort.

Take Advantage of Our Maintenance Program

A good air conditioning maintenance program in Fort Collins, CO, is a great investment. When you enroll in our maintenance program, you don’t just get better performance quality, energy efficiency, and an extended lifespan that comes with routine maintenance. You get all of those benefits along with others exclusive to members of our program! These include perks like waived overtime fees, front of the line service, discounted repairs, and much more!

And, just in case there are DIY enthusiasts among our readers, please keep in mind that no online instructional videos are going to prepare you for the complexities of routine air conditioning maintenance. Doing a deep clean of the system, testing all electrical components (like relays), making necessary adjustments, checking refrigerant levels—this all takes the tools and training that only professional AC technicians have at their disposal.

Schedule your AC tune-up with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Dirty Filter

There are certain air conditioning services in Windsor, CO, that you’re probably not going to overlook. If your AC breaks down completely, you’ll replace it. If it starts blowing hot air, you’ll repair it. Hopefully, you’ll remember to schedule routine, annual air conditioning maintenance, as well. However, even annual maintenance just isn’t enough, not in every regard. There is one step that you need to take on your own, and it’s as important as it is simple: changing your filter.

Now, you may not think that using a dirty air filter in your air conditioner is really that big of a deal. You may think that, because your air quality seems fine, there’s nothing to worry about. In both cases, you’re wrong. Keeping a fresh air filter in your AC is one of the best ways in which you can help it to function at peak performance levels. Keep the following information in mind, and let us know if you have any questions. 

Dirty Filters Drag Down Efficiency

If your air filter is too dirty, then it is going to force your air conditioning system to work harder than it should have to in order to cool your home. That is going to result in higher energy costs.  It’s a straightforward problem with a simple solution. You need to replace your air filter as needed, typically every 1-3 months, in order to maintain proper airflow throughout your system.

When a filter clogs up, it’s harder to get air through that filter. That strains the fan, and the added strain will result in added cost. If you want to cool your home as efficiently as possible, then make the very small investment in a fresh air filter on a regular basis.

They Also Reduce Overall Performance Quality

What’s worse than paying too much to cool your home? Paying too much to cool your home, and still not living comfortably! That’s a very likely outcome if you run your air conditioner with a dirty air filter in place, though.

From uneven cooling to short cycling caused by overheating, your AC just won’t be as effective as it would be with a fresh filter in place. It’s a very minor job to replace a filter,  even if you’re doing it every month, and it’s one that will help you to live more comfortably in your home.

And They Increase Repair Needs

Paying too much for too little from your AC system is bad enough. But what about the added cost of frequent repair service needs? Are you ready to take that financial hit? Or would you rather prevent problems by spending a few bucks on a filter every now and then?

The greater the strain on your air conditioning system, particularly when it gets to the point where short cycling or the icing of coils develops, the greater the risk of problems developing. Even a “minor” problem requiring professional repair is going to set you back a lot further than a basic air filter for your system would.

Schedule your AC services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Get That AC Ready Ahead

There are certain facts in life that are completely inarguable. We’ve got one in the HVAC world. Routine maintenance is the best way in which to keep your air conditioner working as successfully as possible. There’s just no getting around it. It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter at what heights temperatures in your area max out at. If you want to make it through the summer season comfortably, you need to schedule the maintenance that your AC demands.

If you think that this is one air conditioning service in Windsor, CO, that you can handle on your own, think again. Routine maintenance may be just that—routine—but that does not mean that it is simple. A thorough and successful tune-up is something that only a skilled professional can ensure, and you don’t want to run the risk of damaging your system or putting yourself in danger by doing the job on your own.

 

You’ll Be Saving Yourself Money

“I don’t want to spend the money on a tune-up.”

Well, that’s your decision. We want to point out how flawed the thinking with such reasoning is, however. You see, a tune-up is not free—that’s true. But a tune-up is going to save you money in the long run—and you can take that right to the bank!

When you schedule annual air conditioning maintenance, you are going to get the most efficient performance possible from your home cooling system. Over time, a poorly maintained AC is just going to cost more and more to run. So spend the money up front, and enjoy better efficiency throughout the years.

You’ll Be More Comfortable

Say, for whatever reason, you’re fine with paying more to cool your home. Are you still fine with paying more to cool your home with lesser results? Because this is going to be the reality of the situation. Simply put, there is no way that you can hope to cool your home as effectively as possible if you  do not have your air conditioner tuned up annually.

Think about it this way. Last year, you ran a marathon. Sure, it was tough, but you prepared for it and you succeeded. Does that mean that you’ll be able to go and do it again this year, without reconditioning your body for that type of feat? Of course not! You need to keep yourself in marathon shape, and the same is true of your air conditioner.

Your System Will Be More Reliable

If there’s anything worse than an under-performing air conditioner on a hot summer day, it’s got to be a broken down air conditioner on a hot summer day! If you don’t let a professional tune up your system annually, then it is not going to be reliable.

And the most likely time that a system will break down is when you need it most—because that’s when you use it most! Don’t put your comfort and your budget at risk by failing to have your AC tuned up this year.

Schedule your air conditioning maintenance with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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How Dirty Filters Affect

Are you one of those homeowners who is diligent in scheduling routine air conditioning maintenance services each and every year? If so, then we applaud you. This is a responsible trait to possess, and one that is sure to help keep your air conditioning system running as effectively, efficiently, and reliably as possible. However, you must also keep in mind that routine maintenance alone is not necessarily enough to get you the cooling performance you deserve.

There is at least one major step that you should take on your own, and that is changing your air filter. No, you cannot complete a full AC tune-up on your own. However, you can change the air filter yourself, and you should be doing so as needed. This is typically required every 1 to 3 months, though a number of factors will influence how frequently your filter actually needs to be changed. So read on and learn more about how changing your air filter benefits you, including keeping air conditioning repairs in Windsor, CO at bay.

Yes, It Is That Big of a Deal

We know what some homeowners reading this are probably thinking. Really? I need to change my air filter that frequently? Is that really necessary? 

The answer is yes. It is that necessary. A dirty air filter may not seem like that big of a deal, particularly if you have not noticed a marked decline in overall indoor air quality. However, the function of this filter is not to boost indoor air quality throughout your home. Instead, it is there to protect your HVAC system itself from the various problems that may arise when pollutants like dust and dirt build up on its components.

What Kind of Problems Are We Talking About?

For starters, you are going to see a dropoff in system energy efficiency. If you are trying to cool your home in the most efficient manner possible (and why wouldn’t you?) you are definitely not going to want to keep a dirty air filter in place. That is going to make it harder for the system to force air through it, and that is going to cause the system to consume more and more energy as it tries to do its job. You’ll see this reflected in your overall energy costs.

You will also notice that you are paying more for a lesser cooling output. Your system just won’t work as well as it should if it is contending with a dirty air filter. It may even wind up short cycling, meaning that it will start up, run briefly, then cycle back down rapidly. When that happens, you are going to consume more electricity than you should have to because your system uses more energy when starting up than it does when running normally. Plus, you are putting a lot of wear and tear on the system, and the decreased airflow can cause the evaporator coil to ice up, insulating it and making the problem worse.

Schedule your AC services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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We hope that you have taken our frequent bit of Air_Conditioning_heat_wave_coming_business_man_holding_a_electric_fan_Heat_Wave_Heat_Temperature_Sweat_Summer_Electric_Fan-cu_e260x180advice to heart and been diligent in scheduling routine air conditioning maintenance in Wellington, CO. If not, you are putting your comfort, your budget, and even the overall operating condition of your cooling system at risk. While annual air conditioning maintenance is definitely the best way in which to keep your AC functioning at peak performance and efficiency levels, there is also one important step that you should be handling yourself: changing your air filter as needed.

It may not sound like much, but simply changing out your air filter as needed is one of the best things that you can do for your air conditioner. Of course, it is important that you use a filter that is the right for your air conditioning system. If you have any questions about how frequently you should be changing your filter, how to actually replace the filter, or what type of filter you should be using, do not hesitate to give our technicians a call. In fact, you just may find some more helpful tips right here in upcoming posts.

Increased Airflow Resistance

When you leave your air filter in your air conditioning system for too long, it is going to get very clogged up. Obviously, the whole point of your air filter is to create enough resistance to filter pollutants out, but to allow air to flow through that filter as well. If the filter is clogged, then the AC is going to start to struggle to pump air through that filter effectively. That will cause the system to work harder, driving up your energy costs.

Decreased Comfort Levels

Know what is even worse than paying too much to cool your home due to a dirty air filter? Paying too much to do so, even as your comfort plummets! This is a real risk if you let your air filter get too dirty. Not only will your system burn through more energy as it struggles to cool your home, it will also fail to deliver cooled air throughout the whole house effectively. You may notice that areas further from your air handler simply are not as comfortable as others.

Increased Risk of Damages

Perhaps the greatest reason for changing your air filter regularly–even more than protecting your comfort and your budget–is protecting the air conditioning system itself. If your AC is trying harder and harder to force air through a clogged filter, that wear and tear can result in serious damages to the system. The decreased airflow could also lead to ice on the system as the evaporator coil gets too cold, and this layer of insulation will only impede operation further.

Changing your air filter as recommended by the manufacturer and being careful to use only those filters designed for use with your specific system are some of the best ways in which to get the most out of your AC. Do so, and you’ll be able to keep your cool this summer.

Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning for your AC services. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Looking ahead at the weather forecast, you may beTechWithCondensor wondering why we are even mentioning your air conditioning system right now. No, you are not going to need to run your AC in the immediate future. However, it is not going to be much longer before the time comes to put your air conditioner back to work. If you want to ensure that your home cooling system is ready for action when you need it, then you should go ahead and schedule your routine air conditioning maintenance for the season.

It is impossible to overstate just how important it is that you schedule regular air conditioning maintenance in Timnath, CO. Only when your system is thoroughly tuned up by a qualified professional can you expect it to operate at peak performance levels. There is likely more to routine maintenance than you even realize. Count on our technicians to ensure every single step of the process is completed with care.

 

Why Can’t I Do My Own Maintenance?

Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one. Routine air conditioning maintenance is simply beyond the skill level of even the most avid DIY enthusiast or handyman. There is no way that you can tune up your air conditioner properly on your own, unless you happen to be a professional AC technician by trade.

Now, there are a few very basic maintenance services that you can and should handle on your own. For instance, you should be changing your air filter regularly, typically every 1 to 3 months depending on how quickly it gets dirty. You can also do things like keep your outdoor condenser unit free of debris. There is much more to a full maintenance tune-up than these basic tasks, though. Following is a partial list of what we’ll do during a maintenance visit.

  1. Test and evaluate overall system operation.
  2. Clean/replace filters.
  3. Record operating temperature/pressure.
  4. Record amperage draw.
  5. Clean condenser coil.
  6. Inspect condensate drain pan and line, clean as needed.
  7. Lubricate moving parts.
  8. Check all electrical connections and components.
  9. Check refrigerant levels.

Why Is All of This Necessary?

Because a well-tuned air conditioner is simply going to outperform a poorly maintained air conditioner in every facet of its operation. When a system is routinely tuned-up, that system is going to operate more efficiently than it otherwise would, which saves you money in operating costs. It will also operate more reliably, with a reduced risk of damages and problems developing. In fact, routine maintenance can even extend equipment lifespan.

Ask About Our Energy Savings Agreement

If all of this isn’t already enough to convince you of the merits of routine air conditioning maintenance, you should also consider the fact we offer an Energy Savings Agreement to make things as simple as possible while also offering you further benefits.

As a member of our program, you get discounted rates on repairs, saving 15% should anything go wrong with your system. You will also never pay overtime costs, and you get priority customer status. We guarantee same-day service and will work to accommodate your schedule.

Schedule your AC maintenance with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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You’ve heard it said time and time again. You must schedule routine air conditioning maintenance. Routine air conditioning maintenance is the best way in which to keep your system up and running at peak performance and efficiency levels. Schedule AC maintenance every single year.

What you may be wondering, though, is precisely what goes on during an air conditioning tune-up that makes it such an indispensable service. We are happy to enlighten you a bit. Read on to learn a bit more about the specifics of air conditioning maintenance, and remember to call our number if you want to ensure that you receive the very best that your AC has to offer.

Cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils is an important part of the air conditioning maintenance process. If your coils are caked with dirt and grime, the absorption and dispersing of heat is going to be impeded.

Checking thermostat settings is another important task that will be completed during routine maintenance, along with the general evaluation of the thermostat itself. Your thermostat allows you to regulate the operation of your system, so you need to know that it is functioning properly.

Checking refrigerant levels ensures that you do not have a refrigerant leak in your system. Your air conditioner requires a certain amount of refrigerant to operate properly, so even small refrigerant leaks can cause serious trouble.

Inspecting and cleaning the condensate drain line/pan is also very important. Your AC removes humidity from the air in your home, and has to be able to divert that condensation from your living space.

Blower components must be cleaned and adjusted to ensure that distribution of conditioned air throughout your home.

Lubricating moving parts helps to ensure that there is not excessive friction in the system. This can minimize the risk of damage, and also helps to protect efficiency levels.

Call Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning for outstanding AC maintenance in Fort Collins, CO.

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Are you serious about getting the best performance possible from your home cooling system? If so, it is of the utmost importance that you not only invest in a quality system, but also that you schedule routine air conditioning maintenance in Fort Collins, CO. Even this is not enough to guarantee the successful operation of an air conditioning system, though, as there is one more task that must be taken care of, and it is one that you must handle on your own. Changing your air filter may not sound like that big of a deal, but we assure you that failure to do so will negatively influence your home cooling experience.

Don’t My Maintenance Technicians Do That?

Yes, during your routine maintenance service your technicians will replace your air filter if need be. However, it is important to remember that you are only having your system tuned up annually, and that your air filter must be changed more than once a year. If your heating and cooling systems share an air handler, the filter may be changed twice a year, but that is still not enough. Some cheaper filters require changing every month, while most will probably require changing every 2–3 months. There are too many factors to consider for us to say with certainty how frequently your filter will have to be changed, but suffice to say that once or twice a year won’t do it.

If your air filter is not changed regularly, it can become clogged with pollutants. When this happens, you may find that your system is struggling to distribute cooled air throughout your home. This struggle will lead to increased energy costs, even as your system is declining in its overall performance quality. Your indoor air quality may suffer as well, and you risk allowing your evaporator coil to ice over, due to decreased airflow.

Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning with any questions that you may have regarding AC maintenance.

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