While winter is still in full swing, the first day of spring will be here before you know it, bringing with it a welcome end to the cold. Once the temperatures start to rise, it’s crucial that you take certain steps to get your HVAC system ready to switch from heating to cooling. Pre-season AC maintenance is essential for ensuring effective cooling performance, avoiding potential breakdowns, and preventing your energy bills from being unnecessarily high. Let’s take a look at the different pre-season maintenance tasks an HVAC system needs and the steps you should take yourself.
What Maintenance Does an HVAC System Need in the Spring?
The most important spring HVAC maintenance tasks should always be handled by a certified technician. Trying to do many of them yourself could lead to damage and an expensive repair. HVAC warranties also dictate that the system needs to be serviced and maintained by a certified professional. If not, the manufacturer can void the warranty. The biggest concern here is if the system has a major defect, such as a faulty compressor. The warranty would normally provide a replacement compressor for free, and you’d just need to pay the labor costs to install it. Without the warranty, you’ll have to pay the entire cost yourself.
Some of the most important spring HVAC maintenance tasks include:
- Cleaning the evaporator coil and condenser coil
- Cleaning the blower
- Clearing debris from inside the AC condenser unit or heat pump
- Checking the condensate line for clogs and leaks
- Checking the refrigerant level
- Measuring the voltage and amp draw of the blower motor, condenser fan motor, and compressor motor
- Tightening the electrical connections and inspecting the wiring
- Lubricating moving parts as needed
- Testing the thermostat
- Measuring the temperature drop to ensure the system is cooling effectively
Tasks like cleaning the coils and blower make a major difference in how efficiently an AC or heat pump performs. A dirty coil or clogged blower can sometimes lead to as much as a 20%-30% drop in energy efficiency. Checking the refrigerant level is important for ensuring the system isn’t leaking and low on refrigerant. Low refrigerant not only greatly decreases cooling performance, but it can also lead to the evaporator coil constantly freezing. If the refrigerant level gets too low, the system won’t cool the house at all.
All of the maintenance tasks we mentioned also reduce the chances of the system breaking down when hotter weather arrives, and it has to run more. Testing and checking the motors is especially important, as this allows the technician to determine if any of them are starting to wear out. If a motor is wearing out and at risk of failing, or the technician finds any other issues, you definitely want to get the problem fixed before the warm weather arrives. Other than a major issue like a bad compressor, the technician will usually be able to repair the issue the same day.
What Maintenance Tasks Should Homeowners Do?
Ideally, you’ll want to schedule professional maintenance before you need to switch your AC on. If this isn’t possible, you should at least make sure to do the following things before running your AC:
- Clean the area around the outdoor unit
- Replace the HVAC air filter
- Inspect the insulation on the refrigerant line
- Clean and open all vents and registers
- Test the thermostat and replace the batteries
Remove Debris From Around the Outdoor HVAC Unit
Leaves, sticks, and other debris often get piled up around an outdoor HVAC unit over the winter. When the unit runs, the fan pulls air in through the grilles on the side and blows it out through the top. This can result in the debris getting sucked up against the grilles, partially blocking off the sides and reducing the amount of air that the fan can draw in. The incoming airflow is what allows the unit to disperse the heat that the refrigerant pulled out of the house. Without sufficient airflow, the system won’t cool as well. The much bigger concern is that the compressor could overheat and get damaged. Keeping the area around the unit clear and ensuring it has a minimum of 2 feet of clearance on all sides ensures it always receives proper airflow.
Replace the Air Filter
HVAC air filters tend to get quite dirty over the winter from the heating constantly running. A dirty air filter directly contributes to decreased performance and reduced efficiency. It also forces the blower to work harder, which can result in it breaking down. These issues are why it’s important to replace the air filter before turning your AC on and then every one to three months throughout the rest of the season.
Inspect the Insulation on the Refrigerant Line
The larger of the two copper refrigerant lines is the suction line, which carries cold refrigerant from the condenser inside to the evaporator coil. This line should be fully wrapped in foam insulation to prevent the refrigerant from absorbing heat as it moves through the line. If the insulation is falling apart or missing, the extra heat the refrigerant absorbs will contribute to decreased cooling performance and lower efficiency. The part of the line outside the house must be insulated. If the insulation is falling apart, you can replace it yourself fairly easily or have the technician do it when they’re servicing the system.
Clean Vents/Registers and Make Sure They’re All Open
Clogged, closed, or obstructed vents make it more difficult for an HVAC system to distribute air evenly throughout the house. This can result in uneven temperatures, longer cooling cycles, and increased energy usage. The incoming and outgoing airflow should normally be balanced. If not all vents are open and clear, it throws off this balance and leads to cool air backing up within some of the supply ducts. This creates additional resistance within the ducts, resulting in the blower not circulating air as well as it should.
Check Thermostat Settings and Replace the Batteries
The last step is to check the thermostat settings and test to make sure your AC turns on and off as it should. The system should come on almost immediately when you set the thermostat 1 degree lower than the current temperature it displays. It should then shut off when you set the thermostat 1 degree above the current temperature. If it doesn’t, it usually means that either the thermostat needs to be recalibrated or is faulty and needs to be replaced. If your thermostat has batteries, we also recommend replacing them if you haven’t done so within the last six months or so.
At DeWolfe Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, our expert team has what it takes to ensure your HVAC system is ready for the seasonal change. We’ve been serving home and business owners for over 90 years and are dedicated to providing industry-leading cooling and heating services. Our certified technicians can service all makes and models of air conditioners, heat pumps, and mini-splits, and will make sure that your HVAC system is properly maintained and in good working order.
To schedule spring HVAC maintenance in West Boylston or any of the surrounding communities, contact us today.
