Complicated equipment like today's air conditioners benefit in many ways from annual service.

• They recover much of their lost efficiency
• They are less likely to suffer a major break down
• They have a longer life span
• They increase your comfort
• They operate for less money.

    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, furnace or heat pump. If you don't service your air conditioner, furnace or heat pump regularly, you'll find yourself uncomfortable and broke.

     Both air conditioning condensing units and heat pumps 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. 

    Our Tune-up includes cleaning the condensing unit coils with water, checking the amp draw of the compressor, oiling the fan motors, checking that belts are well adjusted, and checking the system operating pressures and temperatures against the manufacturers specifications. One of the most important items to check is the coolant level (commonly know as Freon) in the air conditioner. A system that is only 10% low on coolant will cost about 20% more to operate!

     The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) recommends that coolant levels be checked every year. If your unit is low on coolant, and more must be added, there are new laws governing its use. Freon is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) that will damage the Earths protective ozone layer if released into the atmosphere. The laws governing CFC's now do not allow us to add Freon to a leaky system more than once.  We are required to find and fix the leak in the system. Please don't ask us to violate this law as we can lose our license if we are caught doing this!

     Furnaces also require Annual Maintenance.  A well maintained furnace has a longer life span and saves on utility bills.

     There are some things in addition to yearly tune-ups that you can do to help ensure a high level of comfort and proper system operation: