As a homeowner, it is a big investment to bite the bullet and has central air conditioning installed. Central air conditioning is a home improvement that you can make that can really provide your home with a level of comfort that is unparalleled. This is especially the case if you are living in one of the warmer climates of the United States, such as the Orlando or Jacksonville, FL area. Once you have central air conditioning installed in your Florida home, you want to do all that you can to protect it. A typical central air conditioning unit should last around 15 years or so. What can you do, though, to ensure that it reaches that expected lifespan? What are the maintenance steps that you should be taking on a periodic basis?
Just like any asset that you have and own, you want to be able to maintain it so that it can stand the test of time. Think about your car and how often you take it for an oil change if you need it. That type of simple maintenance may not seem like much, but doing that is going to ensure that the car can keep running at its peak performance. The same type of maintenance is needed with central air conditioning. While minor, taking these maintenance steps can ensure that your unit continues to run as effectively and efficiently as it is capable of doing.
Help the Vents Do Their Work Effectively
The vents of a central air conditioning system can easily be ignored by a homeowner. As you decorate your home and move furniture and such you may not give the vents much thought. It is important, though, to keep them in the back of your mind at all times. Central air conditioning systems need those vents in order to take the cool air that it is producing and deliver it inside your home. You want these vents to be open and not obstructed in any way.
What you can do periodically as a homeowner is to check to see where the vents are and what is around them. Make sure there is no big furniture blocking them. If they are floor vents, make sure no rugs are over the vents or anything like that. This can cause major issues with the central air conditioning unit should it ever be blocked for an extended period of time. This maintenance tip may not seem like much but it is important nonetheless.
Having the Ducts Cleaned
The vast majority of central air conditioning systems deliver cool air via ducts. These ducts are going to be constantly blown through them, sometimes year-round if you also have a forced hot air heating system. You want to be sure that the ducts are cleaned on a periodic basis. This is going to go a long way to helping the air quality in your home. So how often should the ducts of a central air conditioning unit be cleaned? The best rule of thumb is to get them cleaned out every three to four years. Doing this is going to help get rid of the dust that builds up inside and can eventually blow right into the air that you have to breathe every day. Having a professional do this is a best practice that way you do not damage the ducts and they get cleaned properly.
Changing the Filter Every Few Months
The filter of a central air conditioning system also requires a great deal of attention. The filter is what is going to keep the bad stuff out of getting into the unit so that it can run effectively and efficiently. Changing out a filter is very similar to changing the oil of a car. You either can clean the filter if it is reusable or you can throw it out and get a new disposable filter. Either way, doing this every few months or so will help your unit immensely.
Your central air conditioning unit requires some attention in order for it to run effectively and efficiently. The maintenance requirements of a central air unit in a Florida home are pretty minimal. Taking the necessary steps though will help guarantee that the unit continues to run great and lasts as long as it is expected to.
