Brought to you by the professionals at Southport Home Services

Whether you are firing up your air conditioner for the first time this year or you have run it for a month now, it is important to maintain your air conditioner. Doing regular maintenance will help keep your air conditioner running in tip-top shape and it will also help it last longer. Where do you find information on regular maintenance you ask? Well right here in this article of course!

  • Change your air filter regularly
  • Use fans
  • Keep your condenser clear of any debris

Change Your Air Filter Regularly

The first tip that is helpful for making your air conditioner last longer is replacing your air filter regularly. If you keep up with our blog, you will know that the air filter applies to many things when it comes to a central air system. In this case, your system will run cleaner and as designed if you replace your air filter regularly. If the filter is not replaced, there will be contaminants being pushed through the system that are harmful to you and your central air system. Also, we mentioned that if the filter is not changed it will not run as designed. The filter will eventually become so plugged up that it will restrict airflow. With a decreased airflow, your central air system will be working harder to reach the same level of output. This equates to spending more money on utilities and decreased longevity regarding your air conditioner. The system will be working extra hard and wearing out the parts faster than normal. Therefore, the simple process of replacing your filter can increase the life of your air conditioner (and your whole system for that matter).

Use Fans

The second tip for increasing the lifespan of your unit is to make good use of fans! You make think that having an air conditioner completely discounts you from needing a fan. It may be true that you will not NEED it, but it can help increase the life-span of the unit. Fans will help move the cool air around and help cool you down. This would equate having your thermostat set at a higher temperature and using your air conditioner less. With a decreased amount of use, your air conditioner is bound to last longer.

Keep Your Condenser Clear of Any Debris

Keeping the condenser clear of debris is an important step people may forget about. If there is tall grass, leaves stuck inside, or weeds, etc. cluttering around the condenser, that can be bad. The condenser is meant to draw heat away and push it back outside. It can cause stress on the condenser when it is blocked and cannot release the heat it is drawing from the system. There are different varieties of debris that can cause problems of these sorts. A common one is dead leaves getting caught inside of the cage/fins. Another common one is tall grass or weeds. People will not want to damage their air conditioner so when they are doing yard work they stay away from it. It is important to not damage the fins on your Air Conditioner, so if you are one of these people do not fault yourself. It will be worth it though to spend some extra time to carefully pick the leaves out and pull the tall weeds that gather around your condenser.IMPORTANT! Before picking leaves out of your condenser or putting your fingers near it, turn off the air conditioner. This is for the safety of your fingers and for your condenser.

Each person’s air conditioning will have a different life expectancy than their neighbors. There is no definitive way to make your air conditioning last 20+ years. To increase your chances of making your unit last longer would be to have a professional look it over and maintain it every season. This usually includes cleaning out the condenser, checking the filter, checking pressures, etc. This will help catch any problems before they do any more damage. It will also make sure your unit is running how it is designed to. This combination will give your air conditioner the best chance to last as long as it can. Call Southport Home Services to have maintenance done on your air conditioner today.

Meet the Author
Thomas Suchla
Thomas Suchla

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