We
all know that we can pay our auto mechanics a little now for routine service, or
pay them a lot later for a major repair. The same idea holds true for your air
conditioner or heat pump. If you don’t service your air conditioner or heat pump
regularly, you’ll find yourself uncomfortable and broke.
In
this article the term air conditioner will apply to a heat pump or a standard
air conditioner. Both benefit equally from annual service tune-ups.
An
air conditioner is a very tough piece of equipment. It is engineered to
withstand all sorts of abuse and keep on running. This is great in most
respects, but it can lead to complacency about maintenance. Like a car, air
conditioners need regular tune-ups to run properly.
Without
regular maintenance an air conditioner loses about 5% of it’s original
efficiency for each year of operation. This means that the 12 SEER unit that you
bought just a few years ago may be functioning like a 9 SEER unit today! The
good news is that you can recover most of that lost efficiency through regular
maintenance. Studies show that with regular tune-ups a unit will maintain up to
95% of it’s original efficiency. This means that the cost of an annual tune-up
is recovered very quickly in savings on your monthly electric bill and reduced
repair costs. A properly serviced air conditioner will also do a better job of
dehumidifying your home.
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