Routine maintenance to your heating and air conditioning unit keeps costs down. Keep your cooling and heating system operating at optimal performance by hiring a Superior Services HVAC Technician in the Bluffton or Hilton Head area to provide yearly and pre-season check-ups. Our staff keeps a busy schedule once the season starts, so it’s practical to test the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall. Remember, these checkups can be scheduled around the time changes in the spring and fall. We provide stress free Customer Care Maintenance Memberships that are designed to care for your AC system. Look for our Maintenance Program under the Residential (or Commercial) tab in our menu. Here are some suggestions for routine maintenance.

A General maintenance check-up should consist of the following:

• Check thermostat settings to make certain the cooling and heating system provides comfort when you are home and saves energy while you are out of the house.
• Secure all electrical connections and calculate motor voltage and current. Damaged electrical connections can cause hazardous operation of your system and diminish the life of major components.
• Oil all moving parts. Parts that lack lubrication cause abrasion in motors and increase electricity use.
• Examine the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A clogged drain can cause water damage in the house and have an effect on indoor humidity levels.
• Check controls of the system to ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.

Cooling

• Clean out the evaporator & condenser air conditioning coils. Dirty coils lessen the system’s capability to cool your house and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.
• Check your central air conditioner’s refrigerant level and adjust if necessary. The right amount of refrigerant will make your system more efficient decreasing energy costs and expanding the life of the equipment.
• Clean and adjust blower machinery to provide proper system airflow for superior comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system’s efficiency by up to 15 percent.

Heating

• Check all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger. Improperly operating gas (or oil) connections are a fire risk and can add to health complications. An unclean burner or cracked heat exchanger causes improper burner function. Either can cause the equipment to operate less safely and efficiently.

What Can You Do?

• Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your Superior Services Contractor can teach you how to do this. A dirty filter can raise energy costs and damage your equipment, causing early breakdown.