Check-ups for your kids, any pets, and the car all have their purpose. You want to make sure everything is working as it should, and your preventative HVAC maintenance isn’t much different. Scheduling regular, preventative maintenance for HVAC equipment helps homeowners stay “in the know” on their system.
Before the seasons switch, make an appointment with your local HVAC company to make sure everything is okay with your cooling system. No one wants to wake up to a broken AC unit right when the weather starts heating up! Make sure your technician reviews the following on your system (and with you) for a job well done.
What’s Covered in Your Cooling Tune-Up?
Your annual maintenance process should always include a detailed review of the inside and outside components of your cooling system. It’s important to get an AC tune-up done once a year to prevent unnecessary issues. Scheduling your service during the cooling season can help you get the best benefits!
There are many different technical parts to review in your unit. Testing each of these areas takes a little time, but going through them one-by-one will help your technician identify any air conditioner problems that may occur. If you can isolate errors to a single step in your system’s process, it will be easier to keep repair costs down and extend the lifespan of your AC unit. Your cooling tune-up should always include tests for:
- Check operating pressures and temperatures
- Superheat measurements
- Temperature drop at return and supply air
- Contactor condition and operation
- Proper operation of controls
- Wiring and electrical connections
- Fan and inducer motor voltage and amperage
- Function of capacitors and relays
If all of those tests are completed in good working order, your tech would then move on and perform steps for ongoing maintenance. Because dirty units won’t be able to run properly, these items are very important for every tune-up. A few more details can help keep your system running at peak efficiency:
- Lubricate blower motor, condenser fan, and other moving parts (if needed)
- Clear the condensate drain for overflow protection
- Clean outdoor condenser unit for proper airflow
The final steps on the check-list relate to customer care. Your technician should always be ready to review your key concerns about your AC’s operation and be able to address the following for a full-service review:
- Check thermostat and adjust (if needed)
- Evaluate air filters, and clean or replace (if requested)
- Review equipment condition and answer any questions
If your HVAC technician can complete the following, you will probably be all set for annual maintenance. As the old adage goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of savings!”
HVAC Savings with Annual Maintenance
Scheduling annual maintenance is also smart for homeowners looking to save money. Some HVAC companies offer special discounts for their annual maintenance clients. At LCS Heating and Cooling, these HVAC discounts are included in with your LCS Gold Star Membership or LCS Platinum Star Membership. Each membership comes with a monthly payment option—and tons of great savings.
Available for both residential and commercial customers, these memberships work to give you maximum efficiency for your heating and cooling tune-ups at the minimum cost. Both Gold and Platinum Star Memberships offer 10% off repairs, 15% off indoor air quality products and services, and discounted after-hours rates. If anything does go wrong with your unit, it’s great to be a member.
Gold Star Membership automatically gives you $20 off service calls, and even waives the service call with a paid repair over $300 during regular business hours. Platinum Star Membership includes a year’s supply of filters, plus a waived service call for any paid repair during regular business hours. Platinum members also get to participate in our special loyalty program. The longer you stay on the maintenance plan, the more benefits you receive. You can even earn up to $700 towards a full system replacement!
Quality HVAC Service with LCS Heating and Cooling
Your HVAC preventative maintenance and other air quality upgrades help keep your home comfortable and energy-efficient. (And the savings aren’t bad, either!) If you’re ready to give your HVAC units the care they need for a great, long-term performance, give us a call at (317) 238-3961. We’d love to talk with you about our HVAC Membership benefits!
Being pro-active will help keep your systems operating smoothly for years to come. Don’t wait to face AC repairs later in the year. Preventative maintenance helps homeowners stay on the ball and plan for possible problems in advance. Contact the HVAC experts at LCS Heating and Cooling to tune-up your system and start saving today!
We get lots of questions regarding HVAC maintenance. This is a good thing! It means people care about their HVAC investment. Since we're entering air conditioner season, let's focus on questions relating to air conditioner maintenance:
- What is air conditioner maintenance? Preventative maintenance is completed on the a/c to ensure that it is running properly and as efficiently as possible. The air conditioner is cleaned and there are many components that are checked. If a reading is off or out of range, the homeowner will be made aware. Keeping the air conditioner clean also ensures proper air flow.
- Can I turn my air conditioner on before maintenance has been completed? Yes! The air conditioner can certainly run before maintenance is done. Keep in mind that maintenance keeps it running as efficiently as possible.
- What months do you schedule maintenance? We generally start scheduling maintenance mid-April, depending on the weather, and continue to schedule throughout the summer. It's more important that maintenance is done each year rather than it being done a specific week or month.
- Can the service be completed if it's raining? We will reschedule your maintenance appointment if it's raining or below 60-65 degrees outside. Although the techs do have raincoats, we don't want some of the tools and gauges out in the rain. We also don't want your a/c exposed to the moisture. The new R-410 refrigerant attracts moisture 10 times more than the old R-22 refrigerant. We don't like to take chances, so we'll always reschedule if it's raining. In addition to being dry outside, it also needs to be at least 60-65 degrees outside. If it's colder than that, the temperature drop and readings could be inaccurate. Accuracy is key, so we will reschedule if it's too chilly outside.
- How will I know what the technician does during the service? The technician will complete an invoice detailing everything that was completed during the maintenance service. He will also let you know how everything looked and answer any questions you have about your system.
- How much does an annual maintenance plan cost? Our plan is $150 per year. That includes the maintenance service on the a/c in the spring or summer and the maintenance service on the furnace in the fall/winter. Other benefits included with the plan are: No service call if a return visit is needed within 30 days, $10 off service call, 15% off repairs, 15% off indoor air quality (humidifiers, filters, thermostats, UV lights, etc) and no overtime rates if service is needed in an evening, weekend or holiday.
- Does maintenance guarantee that my air conditioner will not break down? Air conditioners are machines and can break down at any time. That being said, there are issues that can be found during maintenance and either repaired at that time or at least brought to the homeowner's attention. For example, the technician may see that a motor reading is in range, but on the high end. While it doesn't necessarily need replaced at that time, the homeowner can be made aware that the motor is on it's way out. It could last another week or it could last another 6 months. In any case, the homeowner is now aware.
- Will you change my filter while you're here doing maintenance? Absolutely! If you already have filters, we will gladly change it for you. If you don't have filters, we can provide you with the price to bring one with us. We also have an online filter program in which we can provide you with a code to order your filters online and have them delivered to your door. Shipping is free and you'll always have your filters on hand.
- What if I have two HVAC systems at my house? We can put each system on the annual maintenance plan. We'll schedule a longer period of time to be at your house to complete maintenance on both air conditioners (and same in the fall/winter for the furnaces). The second system would be $10 off ($150/$140 for two plans).
- Do I need to be home when you do the air conditioner maintenance? Preferably, yes. We will need access to the thermostat and furnace area so will need inside the house. If you have a lockbox or garage code, we can enter that way but always prefer having someone home so the technician can answer any questions while he's there.
Hopefully, we answered some of your questions about air conditioner maintenance! If not, feel free to contact us as we're happy to discuss.
We've had one of the coldest winters on record here in Indianapolis so it seems everyone has spring fever! With the arrival of spring comes a whole checklist of home maintenance items just waiting to be done. Here's a list of items that you can do around your home
to tidy up and get ready for summer:
- Schedule air conditioner maintenance (you knew this would be #1 on our list, right?)
- Change the filter
- Install new batteries in thermostat
- Install new batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Test and dust all detectors
- Check fire extinguishers
- Inspect bathroom, kitchen, door and window caulk; re-caulk as needed
- Clean and seal deck if needed
- Inspect exterior paint and touch up as needed
- Inspect siding/masonry for damage
- Repair/replace damaged window screens
- Inspect roof for damage
- Inspect outdoor play equipment
- Inspect attic for leaks
- Inspect attic insulation
- Clean gutters
- Prune spring and summer- flowering shrubs after they bloom
- Schedule yearly septic tank inspection
- Schedule irrigation inspection
- Inspect foundation for drainage problems
- Inspect crawl space/basement for moisture issues
Preventive maintenance goes a long way. Monitoring items such as these can prevent big problems in the future! Enjoy spring!