How long will my air conditioner live?

Whether you have an old air conditioner or a new one, these steps can help you squeeze more, efficient years out of your system. Of course maintaining your unit is key but there are a few other small things you can do yourself to assist with the process.

CHANGE YOUR FILTERS REGULARLY

This is the single most important step when it comes to extending the life of your air conditioner. The filter helps to keep all the dirt and debris out of your air and the moving parts. If your filter becomes clogged often, chances are, there is dirt and debris building up in your system more and more everyday.

USE A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT

A programmable thermostat saves you money based upon your temperature settings. If you can handle it, set your thermostat to be between 76° and 78°. While you’re away, set the program to run between 4° and 6° higher than the level you’re comfortable with. With a programmable thermostat, you can set your thermostat to get your home back to your comfort level before you return. With a non-programmable one, you’d have to wait till after you came home to make the adjustment and would then be waiting for your home to be at a comfortable temperature again.

UTILIZE CURTAINS/BLINDS

Much of the heat that comes from the sunny side of your home can be blocked out by closing curtains and or blinds. This will also help to trap any conditioned air that may be escaping. Thermal curtains are especially helpful with this issue.

UTILIZE CEILING FANS

When you’re just a little warmer than you’d like to be, instead of running to the thermostat, try turning on your ceiling fan. Make sure it’s blowing down on you. (There’s a switch on the side of your fan that makes it blow clockwise/counterclockwise). The air moving across your body will make you feel cooler.

KEEP OUTDOOR UNIT CLEAN

Your air conditioner deals with quite a bit being outside in the elements. It can handle it, but what it can’t handle is dirty coils. Gently hose off anything you see building up on your coils. Make sure to keep your unit free of weeds, tall grass and all other debris. The cleaner the coils, the easier refrigerant moves. That means less work your system has to do, which means less money for you to spend operating it.

DO LAUNDRY AT NIGHT

Not to be captain obvious, but your dryer puts off a lot of heat. If your air conditioner is battling both indoor and outdoor heat, it has to work harder to keep up. The harder it has to work, the quicker the wear and tear on your system.

HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DUCT CLEANING PERFORMED

Every 3-5 years, your ducts need to be professionally cleaned. The reason we recommend this, is due to the better air quality you will experience afterwards. It helps to remove contaminants from the air you breathe. Dirt and debris naturally build up in your duct work. As that happens, those bits get trapped in moving parts within your furnace or air handler. That build up ultimately causes your unit to work harder. With regular duct cleanings, your system will last much longer than a system with continually dirty ducts.

HAVE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED TWICE PER YEAR

This is the single most important step in extending the life of your air conditioner. During each visit, the technician will do a 15 point check of your system. Each check tells the technician important information about your system. For example, if your motors are amping high, he knows he needs to further investigate your system for issues. If he find that you have lower than normal refrigerant levels, he knows there’s a leak within your system. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

We have AccuCare Plans available. These plans come with 2 visits per year. One for the heating side, one for the cooling side.

While a lot of these sound like tips to save your money and air quality, it all leads back to extending the life of your system. By taking the above steps, your system doesn’t have to work as hard or as much. The less your system has to run, the longer it will last.

If your have any questions, feel free to call us or leave a comment below. We’re happy to help in any way we can. Feel free to share this with your friends and family.