The Biggest Air Conditioning Misconception: ACs “Don’t Need Maintenance”

The Biggest Air Conditioning Misconception: ACs “Don’t Need Maintenance”

A large number of misconceptions and myths swirl around residential air conditioning systems. (For example, “Air conditioners use up refrigerant as they work.” Not at all true: air conditioners circulate refrigerant, which does not dissipate during the process.) We are going to deal with one of the most unfortunate of these AC misconceptions, which leads to many air conditioners failing years before they should and costing their owners large amounts in replacement fees. The misunderstanding is that air conditioning systems can continue to work fine for years without requiring professional maintenance.

Just like a car, air conditioner must have routine maintenance

An air conditioner is a mechanical system, and any mechanical system will wear down over time because of stress. There is simply no way to avoid this—but it can be alleviated. When you consider how much work an air conditioner does during summer alone, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it will suffer serious wear and tear. But many homeowners let their AC continue working, seasons after season, without scheduling a maintenance session for it.

There are some significant consequences for an AC that goes without maintenance. Here are a few:

• Higher utility bill – As parts of the air conditioner wear down, losing lubrication and becoming covered with dirt and grime, the system will need to draw on more electrical power to achieve its standard output of cooling. Every year that an AC misses maintenance, it will loss a percentage of its efficiency rating. After only a few years, you might pay 25% more for air conditioning your home than you should.
• Numerous repairs – The extra strain on the ACs components will make malfunctions more likely, and you will end up scheduling repairs regularly.
• Shortened system life – With regular maintenance, most air conditioning systems can last 15 years or more. If they don’t have maintenance, they may not even each half that age.

Make sure to arrange for maintenance each year for your air conditioner. Call Russell’s Heating & Air Conditioning today to sign up for our maintenance program. We service Calimesa, CA and the rest of the Inland Empire and Desert Communities.