It’s Time for Your A/C Tune-Up

The sweltering Florida heat is giving way to more temperate weather here in Brevard County, and that means it’s time to start thinking about a fall air conditioner tune-up, especially if you didn’t have your system tuned up last spring.

The U.S. Department of Energy likes to point out that a neglected air conditioner typically costs up to 25 percent more to operate than a well maintained system. If you actually do the math, you may be surprised at how much money you could be saving by investing in a once- or twice-yearly A/C tuneup.

The average southern Florida homeowner runs the air conditioner for 2,800 hours every year. If you drove your car for 2,800 hours every year and didn’t tune it up, how efficient would it be? Not very. Same goes with the air conditioner.

Over time, dust that gets into your system builds up on the evaporator coil in the indoor unit and acts as insulation, reducing its ability to absorb heat and remove humidity. Buildup of dust, dirt, and debris on the outdoor coil prevents it from optimally transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoors. Dust buildup on the blower fan reduces airflow, and dust and debris in the condensate drain can cause clogs that may result in water backing up and shutting down your system.