It’s never a bad time in North Texas to schedule A/C maintenance. Since this climate requires a good deal of cooling, air conditioners and heat pumps work hard for months on end, often well into the fall. This time of year, your HVAC contractor should address these issues for dependable cooling.
Heat Pumps and Central Air Conditioners
A heat pump is a common cooling and heating appliance in this region because it works well for both functions. It’s just like a central air conditioner except that it has a reversing valve that transfers the flow of heat summer and winter. When servicing either, the technician should:
- Inspect the electrical components. When they get loose, dirty or corroded, your system won’t work as efficiently and may get hot, which reduces durability. The system should be cleaned, tightened and lubricated, and tested for electrical consumption.
- Clean, lubricate and tighten motors, checking the belt for wear.
- Remove any dust from the coils in the outdoor condenser and the indoor evaporator coil. Both these coils work more efficiently when they’re dust-free. They’re responsible for the important heat-exchange process, and when they’re dirty, that process slows. Changing the air filter regularly cuts down on the amount of dust that enters the air handler. It should be checked monthly and changed when dirty.
- Measure the refrigerant, adding more if necessary.
- Verify the thermostat works properly.
- Verify that the condensate drain is clear and the drain pan is clean. This part of A/C maintenance assures you that you won’t experience problems with related water damage indoors.
Heating Systems
- Verify the reversing valve functions properly on a heat pump, shutting out heating when it’s set to cool.
- Check all the gas connections for tightness on gas furnaces.
- Clean the burner, check the heat exchanger, and adjust the gas-to-air ratio.
- Verify that the flue is clear.
If you’d like to schedule heat pump or A/C maintenance for ample energy savings, contact the pros at Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve provided top-notch HVAC services for Frisco, Allen and McKinney since 1978.
