Avoid Emergency Air Conditioner Replacement with an Inspection and Tune Up

Seasonal central air conditioner maintenance and tune-ups are essential investments in your home. An optimized central heating and cooling system costs less to operate, works better and lasts longer. A new central heating and cooling system may cost $10,000 or more and quality maintenance will protect your investment, lower total cost of home ownership, and, keep you comfortable all summer long.

Seasonal service is best strategy for avoiding the nightmare of system failure during hot summer days and exposing you to contractor rip off during emergency replacement of a broken system. A quality service of your system will help you identify when your system is nearing the end of its useful life so you can plan for replacement with a new system that is properly designed and fairly priced. The AlabamaWISE loan program offers low rate loans for HVAC replacement and related home performance upgrades like insulation that will lower your monthly utility bill.

Trusted AlabamaWISE heating and cooling contractors follow industry-accepted best practices and standards from Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). Download a free consumer guide and checklist to help you compare contractors and proposals so you get the best value and avoid the low bid trap: http://www.acca.org/Files/?id=859

At a minimum, the following test-in and test-out procedures should document the relevant information on a central air Conditioner tune up report. The protocol focuses on maximizing the thermodynamics capacity of the system and has the added benefit of identifying system improvements that are beyond the scope of regular maintenance. Download a free copy of ANSI/ACCA 4 QM-2007 (Maintenance of Residential HVAC Systems). http://www.acca.org/Files/?id=739.

Central Air Conditioner Inspection List:

1. Air Distribution System (duct system)
2. Controls and Safety Equipment
3. Evaporator Coil
4. Condenser Unit
5. Fan Coil
6. Accessories: Central de-humidifier, electronic air cleaners, economizer, condensate pump.

Central air conditioner diagram from How Stuff Works

Central Air Conditioner Tests and Maintenance:

1. Static pressure or anemometer airflow measurements
2. Measure and record system wattage.
3. Calculate coil capacity:
   1. If coil capacity is > 85%, perform maintenance procedures.
   2. If coil capacity is < 85%, perform maintenance procedures and make all possible airflow and charge adjustments to maximize the coil capacity and bring it to at least 85%.
4. Inspect Filter, Clean or Replace Standard Filters (Occupants should do this monthly)
5. Clean Condenser Coil
6. Inspect Evaporator Coil, Recommend Cleaning as Needed
7. Adjust Air Flow
8. Adjust Refrigerant Charge
9. Inspect Electrical Connections and Wiring
10. Lubricate Moving Parts
11. Test-out measurement and record system wattage (System wattage should change if airflow and charge are adjusted or if significantly dirty coils are cleaned).
12. Record and calculate system effective efficiency for all units that were below 85% on the initial test-in procedure.

Home Performance Note: Your home is a system and related home performance components that impact central air conditioner performance and occupant comfort include:

1. Manage your home comfort: Program your thermostat for 78 degrees during occupancy, 80-84 degrees when you are away from home. Use ceiling fans when room is occupied for better comfort. Close blinds to block solar heat gain. Leave room doors open enough to allow air movement from registers to the central return (unless you have jump ducts, transfer grilles or room returns).
2. Attic insulation for Alabama should be R-38 (about 11-12 inches deep). The attic should have proper ventilation and the attic should be air-sealed to keep cool air inside the home. Do not use power attic vents (not even solar powered) because they waste energy by pulling conditioned air into the attic through walls, recessed lights, attic hatch and plumbing penetrations.
3. A comprehensive home energy assessment by a participating AlabamaWISE home performance contractor will identify all the areas where you home wastes energy and prioritize improvements for heating, cooling, duct systems, insulation, air sealing, hot water heating, and windows.