Generally, your air conditioning unit should be serviced at least once a year. The best time to get your A/C unit maintenance is during the spring, right before the heat of the summer settles in. We’ll provide a thorough inspection of your unit and perform tune-ups and cleaning as necessary, allowing you to enter summer knowing your home or business will be kept cool. Maintenance services also help extend the life of your unit, ensuring you get the most out of your investment.

Each maintenance service for your air conditioner should include the following services:

• Checking and calibrating the thermostat to ensure it’s working properly.
• Checking and tightening all electrical connections.
• Lubricating moving parts inside of the A/C unit to ensure that friction doesn’t cause a system breakdown. 
• Checking and cleaning the condensate drain line to ensure the line doesn’t get clogged. (A clogged condensate line can result in the whole system shutting down.)
• Checking system controls to ensure that your A/C unit is cycling properly.
• Changing and cleaning the air filter to ensure that only clean air is circulating through your home.
• Inspecting the blower motor to measure amperage and voltage for safe operation.
• Inspecting the indoor coil for damage and replacing it if necessary.
• Checking the refrigerant and recharging it if necessary.
• Checking safety devices to ensure they are working properly.
• Inspecting the electrical disconnect box.
• Testing and inspecting contactors for burned or pitted contacts.
• Inspecting and testing the capacitors.
• Inspecting the fan blade.
• Cleaning the condenser coil and removing any debris.
• Inspecting the valves to ensure they are working properly.
• Inspecting and cleaning the ductwork to ensure there is no leakage and to prevent blockages.

Replace your air filter every three months to protect your family’s health, keep the indoor air quality clean, and preserve your unit. However, families with pets or homes located in an area with high outdoor air pollution may need to change it more often.

Your air conditioner will give you a few signs when it is reaching the end of its lifespan. Knowing these signs can help you decide to replace your air conditioner before it completely breaks down, easing the transition and preventing an extremely hot house. Here’s what to look out for:

• Your air conditioner is more than 10 years old: Air conditioners have a lifespan of about 15-20 years. However, if you rely on air conditioning heavily, start to see frequent issues with yours, and your unit is older than 10 years, it means your air conditioner is reaching the end of its lifespan. Always consult with a trusted HVAC technician to understand your options.
• Your air conditioner is breaking down more often: Yearly maintenance can prevent your air conditioner from experiencing breakdowns during the summer. But even with routine maintenance, an aging air conditioning unit will encounter more and more issues as the parts begin to wear down. To prevent recurring high repair costs, contact a trusted HVAC technician to inspect your unit and decide whether or not it is time to replace it.
• Your energy bills are skyrocketing: Increasing energy bills can be a sign that your air conditioning unit has to work harder to properly cool your home. This is often due to parts starting to break down.

Most modern air conditioners have a lifespan of 15-20 years, though this can be extended with proper maintenance.

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). This number tells you how efficient your air conditioner unit is. The minimum energy standard for air conditioners in the industry is at least 13 SEER but stronger and more energy-efficient machines can reach as high as 21 SEER. While units with a lower SEER rating are cheaper, the energy savings from higher state-of-the-art machines will pay for themselves throughout their lifetime.

Many residential homeowners struggle when it comes time to buy a new unit because they don’t know what size they need. If you buy the wrong size HVAC unit, it can negatively impact the unit’s ability to evenly cool the home and may require more electricity than necessary.

However, your dedicated team at Select Air Conditioning & Heating can help you find the right unit for your home’s needs. Here is a chart to help you determine how many BTUs (British Thermal Units) you may need for your home:

100-150 House Square Footage - 5,000 BTUs Needed

150-250 House Square Footage - 6,000 BTUs Needed

250-300 House Square Footage - 7,000 BTUs Needed

300-350 House Square Footage - 8,000 BTUs Needed

350-400 House Square Footage - 9,000 BTUs Needed

400-450 House Square Footage - 10,000 BTUs Needed

450-500 House Square Footage - 12,000 BTUs Needed

500-700 House Square Footage -14,000 BTUs Needed 

700-1,000 House Square Footage -18,000 BTUs Needed 

1,000-1,200 House Square Footage -21,000 BTUs Needed 

1,400-1,500 House Square Footage - 24,000 BTUs Needed

1,500-2,000 House Square Footage - 30,000 BTUs Needed

2,000-2,500 House Square Footage - 34,000 BTUs Needed

Your fan’s auto setting can help keep cooling costs down as your A/fC will use the fan only when it needs to maintain the set temperature. However, keeping the fan on helps the home maintain a more consistent temperature because the airflow is uninterrupted. This may benefit individuals who suffer from allergies or respiratory illnesses.

You can help minimize your energy usage and cooling costs by: 

• Making sure all of your air vents are open and unrestricted.
• Getting a programmable thermostat so your A/C doesn’t run continually.
• Performing regular maintenance and filter changes.
• Using ceiling fans so you can turn your thermostat up a few degrees without affecting the feel of the home.

Select Air Conditioning & Heating is dedicated to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our community. This is why we go to great lengths to ensure that our clients are educated about their heating and cooling units. If your home or business in the Lewisville, Texas area needs cooling services, contact our team today. Whether you are looking for maintenance, repairs, or new installation, you can rely on us to be there!