Springtime Maintenance: Your Air Conditioning System

Advisory Report - April 2003

Springtime Maintenance
Part One of Three: Your Air Conditioning System

To achieve the best performance and longest life out of your air conditioning system, continual maintenance is extremely important. Below is a checklist of maintenance tips to keep your air conditioning system healthy.

Homeowner suggestions:

• Change the filter. The filter should be changed on monthly bases. If it hasn't been changed in a long time, change it today!

• Clear the exterior unit of debris and insure 6 inches clearance from vegetation.

• Avoid starting your air conditioning system until the outside temperature is above 65 degrees. Below 65 degrees, the oil in the coils may be hardened and could damage the system. 

• When you first start the air conditioner, set your thermostat 5 degrees above room temperature. This will cause the system to run for a while, helping the unit circulate the oil in the system, which lubricates the compressor. After the initial run of the system, reset your thermostat to your ideal temperature.

• If you have a humidifier, be sure it’s shut down for the duration of the time you’re running the air conditioner. Circulating cool, damp air throughout your house is conducive to the growth of mold.

Service technician suggestions: 

• Check the air handler condensate drain, drain pump, and/or drain pan to insure they are working properly and are free of clogs.

• Check and clean the air conditioner’s condenser and evaporator coils.

• Check the Freon level.

Most problems with air conditioning systems occur at the first start-up of the season, or during the first two to three months of the season. Freon isn't simply "used up." Low Freon levels are caused by either leaking or intentional discharge. Low levels of Freon force your air conditioning system to work harder, which shortens the life of the system. Leaks cannot always be detected when the system is first started up in the spring, so a mid-summer service check can help catch problems early to prevent more costly repairs. Service checks become more important as your system ages.

Contributed by Justin Gore
Quality Assurance Supervisor
U.S. Inspect, LLC