Nashville summers give residential air conditioners a real workout and this summer will be no exception. That’s why now is the time to schedule preventative residential AC maintenance and make sure your system is ready to keep up when the heat hits.
At Jewell Mechanical, we recommend having residential air conditioning systems inspected and maintained twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, when most customers are not dealing with an urgent cooling or heating problem. During an air conditioning maintenance visit, our courteous, experienced technicians:
- Adjust and clean blower components
- Check and tighten electrical connections
- Clean and check the thermostat
- Check operating pressures for proper refrigerant charge
- Monitor voltage and amperage draw on all motors
- Check primary and secondary drains
- Inspect and clean the cooling coil
- Lubricate all moving parts
- Inspect your ductwork
- Monitor the air conditioning cycle
- Check the air filter
Many of our customers like to schedule their spring AC maintenance early in the season. That gives you time to deal with any issues the inspection turns up before the real heat arrives, and it also gives you a chance to think through repairs or replacement without feeling rushed. If the system is getting older, that extra time can make it easier to consider installation of a new AC system in a calm, informed way.
4 Benefits of HVAC Preventative Maintenance
Customers who schedule regular routine maintenance enjoy:
- Improved air quality
- Lower energy bills
- Improved reliability and fewer repairs
- An AC system with a longer life expectancy
It can also help prevent frustrations large and small, like an air conditioner that leaks water.
Let’s explore each of these issues in a little more detail.
Improved Air Quality
Most people are cognizant of the fact that outdoor air quality can impact one’s health, but compromised indoor air quality is also a threat, one which has the potential to worsen allergies, asthma and other health conditions.
How do you know if your AC is making you sick? If any of the following conditions exist, your air conditioning could be the culprit.
- There’s a musty smell when your AC comes on
- You feel like your home is always dusty
- You are frequently sneezing or coughing
- You experience frequent headaches or sore throats
An inspection of your AC system and duct work can reveal conditions that are damaging your health, including issues that warrant immediate attention, like visible mold growth in ducts or on other components of your system.
Lower Energy Bills
Health benefits aside, regular routine maintenance of your air conditioner is likely to result in lower monthly energy bills, providing you with the quietest and most efficient performance possible.
Some aspects of routine AC maintenance are things that you can and should be doing yourself, like checking and changing your AC filter.
Other maintenance tasks are perhaps best left to a licensed professional, like cleaning your evaporator coil and condenser coil. Build-up on both interior and exterior coils is inevitable and while you can clean surface debris yourself (using a brush), extensive build-up may require a chemical clean, which should be performed by a certified AC technician.
A dirty air filter or dirty coils can also cause ice build-up on your AC unit, as can a faulty motor or a leak in your refrigerant line. If your air conditioner becomes frozen we recommend that you turn off your AC but keep the fan running, which should help encourage thawing, which has to occur before repairs can be made.
Improved Reliability and Fewer Repairs
Of course, it almost goes without saying that routine maintenance is less expensive than having to make major repairs from time to time.
One reason is that twice-annual maintenance enables technicians to identify and address small problems before they become big issues. It also enables our technicians to become familiar with your AC when it’s working properly, so it’s easier to discern when the system is operating at less than peak efficiency.
Longer Life Expectancy
Last but not least, it’s common sense that a well-maintained system tends to last longer than one that goes without routine maintenance. One reason is that testing and lubricating moving parts on an ongoing basis helps reduce wear and tear. Similarly, a unit that isn’t working at maximum efficiency has to work harder to keep you cool, and needless strain can cause parts to wear out sooner and shorten your system’s lifespan.
Jewell Mechanical’s Energy Savings Agreement
As for the cost of twice-annual maintenance, know that our Energy Savings Agreement (ESA) makes it readily affordable. Specifically, our ESA includes a system diagnostic assessment in both the spring and fall, with the spring service featuring coil cleaning, as well as checks of the filter, electrical connections, and thermostat operations.
Other benefits of the Jewell Mechanical ESA include:
- Priority customer status
- No diagnostic fees
- Discounts on repairs
- $500 off system replacement
Other Reasons to Choose Jewell Mechanical for Residential AC Maintenance
Yet another reason to choose Jewell for residential AC maintenance is that all of our technicians are licensed and insured, and our techs also receive continuing education. In contrast, an unlicensed contractor likely has inadequate experience and education, and his/her lack of liability insurance could become a real problem if s/he directly or indirectly damages your home and/or AC system.
Over the years we’ve encountered situation where an unlicensed contactor:
- Installed an undersized or oversized AC unit
- Installed a unit inappropriately, resulting in needlessly excessive energy consumption
- Damaged ductwork
- Caused a gas leak
- Caused an electrical overload
- Caused personal injuries
Never mind the fact that using an unlicensed technician can void the warranty on your HVAC system.
So if there’s one overriding takeaway from this article, it’s that you should choose a contractor that employs licensed technicians with the requisite education, experience and insurance.
FAQ
How often should I schedule AC maintenance in Nashville?
Most homeowners should schedule AC maintenance twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. That keeps the system ready for Nashville’s hot summers and helps catch small issues before they turn into bigger problems.
What should I do before turning on my AC for summer?
Start with a clean filter, clear the outdoor unit, check your thermostat, and make sure vents are open and unobstructed. If the system is older or has been acting up, a professional tune-up is the safest way to get it ready.
Contact Jewell Mechanical to Schedule Preventive Residential AC Maintenance
At Jewell we look forward to the opportunity to serve you and your family. Call us at (615) 469-5965 to schedule preventive residential AC maintenance or to address any of your AC-related needs. If you’re going on a vacation this summer, we can even help with advice on how to prepare your AC for your summer vacation, preparations that might include investing in a smart thermostat.
Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have. We’re a local company that has served Metro Davidson County since 2005 and we truly care about the well-being of the Nashville community.
Contact Us