A/C Maintenance: What to Do Yourself and What to Leave to a Professional

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Now that warmer weather is just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about turning on your air conditioner. Before you do, though, it’s important to make sure it’s ready to keep you cool all summer long without a dreaded breakdown requiring expensive service.

The best way to ensure the air conditioner in your greater Cincinnati home is in tip-top shape for the coming warm weather is to schedule professional A/C maintenance.

Preventive maintenance on your air conditioner by a qualified HVAC professional isn’t expensive and will extend the life of your unit. And knowing the system will operate safely all season will provide you with peace of mind. Professional maintenance will include these essential checkpoints:

  • Lubricate the moving parts of your system to reduce friction.
  • Test the controls to ensure that they’re working properly.
  • Record the operating temperatures and pressures.
  • Inspect the start and run capacitor and relays for damage.
  • Measure and fine tune the refrigerant charge.
  • Flush the condensate drain to prevent overflow.
  • Tighten electrical connections.
  • Check the blower motor and belt.
  • Check and adjust the thermostat.
  • Measure the amperage and voltage on the motor, and check the condition of the bearings.
  • Check the compressor contacts.
  • Clean the outdoor condenser coil.

Between annual tune-ups, there are several things you can do to keep your air conditioner operating efficiently and safely.

  • Check your air filter every month and replace it when it’s dirty to prevent overheating and to improve your indoor air quality.
  • Keep the outdoor condensing unit free of debris such as leaves, grass clippings and plants.
  • Spray the condensing unit with a hose periodically to remove dirt buildup.
  • Don’t close off more than 20 percent of the vents in your home in an attempt to save money on energy costs. Doing so can disrupt the airflow to your unit and cause overheating.

For more expert advice on the importance of annual A/C maintenance, or to schedule a tune-up with one of our NATE-certified HVAC professionals, please feel free to contact us at Apollo Home Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. We serve the greater Cincinnati area with a high level of customer satisfaction.

Image via Shutterstock.com

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"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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