During the course of physical inspections many air conditioning units are found in dire need of service. Here's an overview of what servicing an air conditioner will accomplish. Air conditioners are made up of a few major components. They include a compressor, a heat exchanger, a fan, a filter and a cooling coil. Each of these components plays a vital role in delivering that wonderfully cool air efficiently into the home.

Many times system maintenance is a fairly simple procedure requiring cleaning out the weeds and refuse that have accumulated on the exterior unit as well as a simple filter change. The importance of a regular filter change is often underestimated. Yet, even the best filters allow some dust and grime to bypass them. Those contaminants collect on the cooling coil deep within the air handler, which is usually that big metal box with the furnace in it. When this happens, it's a good idea to get a technician to clean the fins of the cooling coil. Cleaning these fins allows for more air to pass through which increases efficiency. This permits the system to perform as it was originally designed.

Be sure to have the technician also check the air conditioner’s refrigerant charge. This is crucial to the efficiency and longevity of your air conditioning unit. Improper refrigerant charge levels are a common cause of system failure and needless losses of energy. Many systems leak some of their refrigerant as the years pass. If the refrigerate charge is low, the air conditioner needs to work much harder to produce the same amount of cooling as a properly charged system. This is especially important on older units that are not very efficient by today’s standards. This condition also produces a higher level of wear and tear on the compressor which could contribute to early failure.

With a little forethought, a building owner can save a bundle. Properly maintaining existing heating and cooling equipment can prolong the life expectancy of current units as well as getting the additional benefit of reduced operating costs. Additionally, having a technician come out before the summer season, gives the advantage of having many companies to choose from versus finding the one technician who is available in the peak of the summer cooling season. Here is a helpful guide from ENERGY STAR that goes into further detail.