Air Conditioner Maintenance in River Falls, WI
When you want to get the most out of your residential AC system, you can trust the team at Hurlburt Heating AC and Plumbing to set you up with a maintenance schedule tailored to your home’s air conditioning system.
A local company with a hard-earned reputation
Hurlburt Heating AC and Plumbing has been serving the River Falls area since 1959. That’s over 60 years in the field! We have built a reputation for ourselves as honest, reliable and affordable HVAC contractors.
Our team of expert technicians are here to make sure you get the longest life possible from your AC system. We know that new air conditioners can be expensive to install but if you maintain them well, they should last you between 15 and 20 years.
The goal of preventative AC maintenance
Air conditioner maintenance is a combination of homeowner care and professional service. The ultimate goal of preventative maintenance is to extend the life of your AC equipment. We know that AC systems are expensive to install so we want to help you make them last as long as possible.
Our side of preventative maintenance allows us to catch small problems before they have a chance to become big ones. Coolant leaks are an important one that we look out for. An AC that is low on coolant can cause damage to the system’s compressor if it goes on long enough. The compressor is the heart of the air conditioner; without it the system cannot function. Unfortunately, it is an expensive and time-consuming part to replace. So much so that we often recommend an entirely new AC unit in the event of a compressor failure. If we find the coolant leak at your spring maintenance appointment, we can address it before it causes damage to your AC unit.
Preventative AC maintenance for homeowners
AC maintenance for homeowners is pretty simple. Let us walk you through it.
- Change your furnace filter on a regular schedule. This is the best thing you can do for your AC unit. Your AC can’t keep you cool if it can’t breathe. Air restriction from a dirty filter can cause a whole host of problems, some minor and some major if it happens often enough.
We recommend you check your 1’’ filters once per month. Depending on the traffic in your home, you might not have to change them every month but it’s good to get on a regular schedule.
4’’ and 5’’ filters are designed to be changed every 6-12 months. Again, how long you can go between filter changes depends on the traffic in your home.
Mini split filters should be removed and rinsed clean every six weeks. These filters are designed to be reused. You can clean them in your kitchen sink and replace them in the unit right after. It only takes a couple of minutes!
- Clean your outdoor AC unit. Your outdoor unit, or condenser, can get plugged up with dirt, dust, grass clippings, cottonwood seed and other debris. When the coils get blocked, your air conditioner is unable to release the heat it has removed from your home. This can mean poor performance from your AC unit and unnecessary strain on the compressor. Luckily, you can clean the outdoor unit with a simple garden hose and spray nozzle. All you need to do is spray the debris down the coils until they are clear.
- Keep your outdoor AC unit free of bushes, grasses and other plants. Like a dirty coil, tall plants around your AC condenser can impede its ability to release heat. Give your AC around two feet of clearance from plants and bushes so it can work effectively.
- Get an annual tuneup from a trusted HVAC professional. Even if you take the best care of your AC, there is still the potential that something goes wrong. With an annual tuneup, we are able to assess your AC system and address any issues we find before they have the chance to become problems for you down the line.
Hurlburt’s annual AC tuneup
Whether you have a central air conditioner, a heat pump or a ductless mini split, the team at Hurlburt Heating AC and Plumbing has the experience to create a comprehensive maintenance plan for your AC system.
We recommend an annual tune up in the spring of each year to look over your AC system before the summer weather kicks in. This gives us the best chance to catch any problems before they can cause damage to your air conditioner.
At your annual tuneup, our technicians will do a full cleaning of your AC system and indoor drain fittings. We will assess the condition of the unit and check over all internal parts. During our assessment, we will check coolant levels and make sure your AC unit is running efficiently. If we do find any issues, we will discuss them with you before we begin any repairs.
How long should you expect your air conditioner to last?
While we can’t say for certain how long your AC will last, we can tell you that we typically see a lifespan of 15 to 20 years. That goes for central air conditioners, heat pumps and mini splits. Obviously, the better you maintain your system, the longer it will likely last.
If your AC is getting up there in age, make sure you are diligent about changing the filter and don’t skip on your annual tuneup. We recommend furnace filters with a MERV rating of 7 or 8. If you get the pleated filters with the higher MERV ratings, you might actually cause too much air restriction for your AC system.
If you have any questions about filter recommendations or AC tuneups, don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re always here to help.
