AC Maintenance in Altoona, WI
Let Hurlburt Heating AC and Plumbing help you get the most out of your AC
With over 60 years in the HVAC industry, we know how to keep your air conditioner running its best for many years to come. It doesn’t matter if your AC is brand new or if you are trying to keep your old unit working as long as possible, we can help you set up a maintenance plan to get the longest life from your equipment.
Why preventative maintenance is so important for your AC unit
The better you maintain your AC, the longer it will last.
Our goal with preventative maintenance is to catch small problems before they have the chance to become major issues down the line. Preventative maintenance for air conditioners is a combination of homeowner maintenance and professional service.
On our side of things, we recommend an annual tune up in the spring of the year before the summer weather gets here in earnest. If you have a newer AC unit, you might be able to get by with a tuneup every two years but if you have an older system and you want to keep it running, we recommend that you don’t skip the annual tuneup.
What happens at an annual tuneup?
Our expert HVAC technicians will inspect your AC unit and make sure all internal parts are working as intended. We might recommend that you trim tall grasses and plants away from the outdoor condenser so it doesn’t impede airflow.
We then do a full cleaning of the outdoor unit and clean the AC coil drain inside your home. When we are done cleaning the system, we hook our gauges up and check the coolant pressures. This is the most important part of the tuneup. The coolant pressure lets us know if the compressor is functioning well and it will let us know if your AC has a leak.
AC leaks can cause quite a bit of damage if they go on for too long. An AC that is low on coolant will cause a lot of excess strain on the compressor and might even make it fail prematurely. If your AC system is older, this could be the end of it. In many cases, your money is better spent on a whole new unit than replacing a compressor on an older AC.
Hurlburt Heating AC and Plumbing can create a maintenance plan for all types of residential air conditioning systems
- Central air conditioners
AC maintenance for homeowners
The two best things you can do for your AC system is to change your furnace filter on a regular schedule and have an annual tuneup from an HVAC professional.
Our team sees a lot of AC systems with shortened life spans caused by consistently dirty furnace filters. We might be in the business of AC replacement and repairs, but we want to help you keep your current AC running its best.
For 1’’ furnace filters, you should make a point to check on them once a month. Depending on the traffic in your home, you might only need to change the filter every couple of months but you should get on a regular schedule of checking it.
It might surprise you to know that you don’t need to spend your money on expensive furnace filters. We recommend a filter with a MERV rating of 7 or 8. These are the cheaper furnace filters in the store. The reason we recommend these are because they allow enough airflow for your HVAC system to breathe. The more expensive pleated filters can actually cause enough air restriction to result in poor performance from your AC. Contrary to popular belief, your furnace filter’s only job is to prevent dirt and dust from coating the fan motor and A-coil. If you want something for indoor air purification, you’ll need to set up a system specifically for that.
If you have a 4’’ or 5’’ furnace filter, you only need to change these every six months to a year. These filters do actually provide more air purification but they are specially made to do so. They tend to be better for those of us who forget to change the filter monthly.
If you live near cottonwood trees, which are quite popular in some areas of Altoona, you should also keep an eye on your outdoor AC coil. Cottonwood seed can coat the aluminum coils and stop your ACs ability to release the heat it removes from your home. Luckily, you can take care of this yourself with a garden hose and a sprayer. All you need to do is spray the seeds down with water so the coils are clear on all four sides.
Contact our team of technicians to get on our spring schedule
Your annual tuneup lets us take a look at the mechanical side of things and give you an idea of any repairs you might need in the future. This, coupled with changing the filter on a regular schedule, will set your AC up for a long life of keeping your home cool and comfortable.
