Whether you have a brand-new air conditioner or inherited an older one when you moved into a place, regular maintenance must be performed on it. You might think that you're overdoing it by having someone look at it every six months to a year, but in our experience, it can help prevent costly AC repairs down the road. There are plenty of reasons why you should have this done, but here are three of the most important ones to keep in mind.

1. Improved Efficiency

Have you turned on your car and had it behave sluggishly? This could happen if you don't have it regularly maintained. The engine might need more oil. An air filter might be clogged. The longer you wait to have a professional handle your AC repairs, the worse it's going to be. There might be times when you find that it's not even turning over. Then you're going to be stuck without a vehicle and might have to pay for a rideshare to get to and from work or ride public transportation while you wait for it to be fixed.

We don't work on automobiles, of course, but we can use the same analogy for your air conditioner. If you have regular maintenance visits done by professionals, then chances are good that they'll catch any minor issues early on before they become major ones. As a result, you're going to feel good about turning on the AC on those hot days without worrying about whether it's going to suddenly short out.

When the technician is doing this service, they can look at everything about your air conditioner—the filter, the coils, the refrigerant, and the wiring to things like the thermostat. If they notice any blockages, leaks, or wiring issues, they'll fix the problem so that the issues don't mushroom into something worse. If it does turn out that a major issue has cropped up since the last inspection despite your using it normally, then they will discuss the options for AC repairs with you.

2. Saving Money

Air conditioners use up a lot of electricity when they are running optimally. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, they use about 6% of all electricity produced in America. If your unit isn't running optimally, though, you'll find that it's using even more electricity and energy than average. Both of these things will translate to higher bills. By having an expert come and perform maintenance on it regularly, you'll be able to see those bills go down, which will mean more money in your pockets.

Keep an eye on your energy bill. If you see a sudden spike and there hasn't been an increase in rates, and you're sure that your roof and windows are in good shape, then your air conditioner is most likely the culprit. By being alert to issues like this, you can have an AC technician come make a quick repair so that won't happen anymore.

Another reason to have someone perform maintenance on your air conditioner regularly, especially if it's part of an HVAC unit, is that by doing that, you'll be keeping the warranty active. There may even be built-in maintenance times, and you need to have a professional do the job. If you try to do it yourself, you run the very real risk of voiding that warranty. In that case, you'll be paying out-of-pocket for any AC repairs you need, which can drain your bank account much faster than you'd ever like.

3. Prolonging Its Lifespan

Once again, it pays to think of your air conditioner like you would your vehicle. You take it in for regular inspection and maintenance, right? The mechanic can look it over and see what issues are possibly causing problems. They can also replace older parts and put in new ones so that it continues to work smoothly and lets you stay on the road.

The same goes for your air conditioner. In our experience, it can last for up to 15 or more years with regular maintenance. If you don't bring your vehicle into a shop, you're going to have to get a new one sooner than you'd like, with it possibly breaking down on the road. Your air conditioner could decide to go on the fritz at the worst time ever when it's so hot outside that you're sweating even thinking of encountering this situation. Having it regularly tuned up can keep that sweet, cool air blowing for as long as possible.

It can be easy to just let your air conditioner run without thinking about the long-term consequences of having a professional look at it at least once a year. That said, you won't be able to claim surprise when it dies out a lot earlier than you anticipated. It's fairly easy to schedule these regular visits with an AC expert. Think of it like you're scheduling a yearly physical for the unit. The only real difference is that you won't have to worry about sitting in a crowded waiting room!

Our Top Recommendations for You

To get the most out of your unit, we recommend keeping your ears and nose open. What do we mean by that? Well, usually, an air conditioner is pretty quiet when it's running. If you hear a lot of banging or other noises, it means something is going wrong. If you ever notice a burning smell, something might be wrong with the wiring. If it smells musty, then mold has gotten into your vents. If you encounter either of these scenarios, don't wait and hope that the situation will resolve itself. By doing that, you're risking major damage being done to the air conditioner, which could result in your needing to buy an entirely new unit. That would likely end up costing a lot more than just a regular maintenance visit.

In between having the professionals look at your AC, you can do several things to ensure that things run smoothly. First, check the filter regularly. No matter how careful you are and how often you vacuum your property, dirt and dust are going to get into the filter, which will keep your unit from letting out fully clean air. Have a professional show you how to take the filter out and replace it. After you learn the procedure, you can do that every month or so to keep things going like they should.

As you can see, those three reasons are enough to prove how vital it is to have AC maintenance work done. Otherwise, you're risking having to buy a new unit before you're ready, and when you're dealing with 100-degree weather, you need to have it working. When you're sitting in a cool room on a hot July day, you'll be glad that you were so proactive.

Do you live in the GA area? You especially want to have your air conditioner working during those brutal Georgia summers. We have 45+ years of experience, and we can do AC repairs along with maintenance and installation! Contact our team at Harding Plumbing, Heating & Cooling today to learn more. Don't forget to ask us about our emergency services if you need help right away.