May 5, 2014

Around the House: Gear Up for Cooling Down

Spring weather in Denver, Colorado may be notorious for being hot and sunny one day and a blizzard the next. When the dry summer heat hits, however, cranking up the air conditioner quickly becomes a priority.

When your A/C system breaks down, the summer heat can become unbearable. Overuse can lead to a breakdown, most often on units older than five years. However, most units have a possible lifespan of 12-15 years. Stretching the lifespan of your A/C unit to its full potential requires regular maintenance.

If you Google “Denver air conditioning” it will automatically be completed to search “Denver air conditioning repair.”  Breakdowns are very common because regular A/C maintenance is often overlooked. A yearly A/C check can prevent costly repairs and can cut your energy bill by as much as 15 percent, not to mention saving you the pain of running online to search for a fast fix.

During an inspection, Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric technicians follow a comprehensive checklist and perform repairs to improve the lifespan of your air conditioner. A technician will perform a thorough check of refrigerant levels, unit connections and drainage lines for leaks. Technicians are also familiar with all mechanical parts of the unit, inspecting blower wheels, fan belts, bearings and motors, adjusting as necessary. Technicians will also perform maintenance on the unit, replacing filters and cleaning cooling coils.

Throughout the season, Applewood recommends an “At Home Spring Checklist” for your air conditioner. Here are nine of the 21 inspection points our certified technicians perform:

• Inspect fan belts and pulleys. Adjust as necessary
• Check condensate line drainage
• Inspect indoor coil if accessible
• Check/clean thermostat and test operation
• Inspect fan bearings. Lube as necessary
• Check operation of service valves
• Check capacitor and start components
• Check contactor and relays
• Check refrigerant charge

Here are a couple of other key pieces of advice we offer our clients:

o    Clean or change the filter on your system at least every 60 days.  This prevents unwanted pollutants from entering the air in your home and keeps everything running smoothly. Ask your technician during an inspection to demonstrate the easy steps on how to replace a filter.

o    Use the A/C sparingly. Instead of running the unit at night, open windows and use fans to help ventilate and circulate cooler air. Opening doors to bedrooms and other rooms is also imperative for air flow.

o    Keep east and west facing windows closed, with the shades drawn. Direct sunlight can heat the inside of a home quickly.

Proper maintenance can help you gear up for cooling down this summer. More importantly, it can keep your air conditioning system running efficiently no matter how hot the temperature is outside.  If you’d prefer that we inspect your air conditioning system, let us know, we’d be happy to help out. For a complete list of services and offers, call Applewood Plumbing and Heating at 303-328-3060. We are open 6AM – 10PM, 7 days a week.