The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that an estimated 87% of homes in the country have air conditioning, while 89% of single family homes in the U.S. have central air conditioning units. The EIA also reports that an estimated 35% of homes in the Northeastern United States use their central air conditioning units all summer long. This shows the importance that air conditioning has on American homes, and clearly illustrates how the majority of Americans feel AC is a necessity.

Since AC units are so vital for Americans, performing the proper maintenance is absolutely vital. It’ll give the air conditioner a longer life, save on energy bills, and also avoid costly air conditioning repair bills. According to the air conditioning experts, “Air conditioners need yearly maintenance to maintain proper performance. With the proper maintenance your air conditioning and heating equipment will work more economically and be more dependable for years to come.”

One of the most important ways to maintenance your air conditioner so as to avoid expensive air conditioning repair bills is to replace its air filter. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “logged, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system’s efficiency significantly. With normal airflow obstructed, air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil’s heat-absorbing capacity.” When you replace a dirty, clogged filter, you can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by as much as 15%, and a truly energy efficient AC unit can reduce energy costs between 25% and 30% on average.

Although you can perform self maintenance on your air conditioning systems, it’s important to remember that self maintenance is absolutely not a substitute for professional air conditioning repair services. You should schedule a yearly maintenance service with air conditioning repairmen. The Department of Energy states that a professional air conditioning repair person should check refrigerant levels, check for leaks, capture any refrigerant that’s evacuated, check the seal duct, measure airflow, verify the correct electric control sequence, inspect electric terminals, clean and tighten connections, oil the motors, check belts for tightness and wear, and check the accuracy of the thermostat.

Your central air conditioning allows the even distribution of temperature control, and reduces the amount of dust and allergens in the air. Air conditioning services are an absolute necessity for most Americans, which makes proper maintenance from air conditioning repairmen a vital thing to do each year. If you have any questions about air conditioning repair, feel free to ask in the comments. Get more here.