Getting your AC ready for Arizona’s warm weather

Rosie on the House Certified Partner, REEis Air Conditioning’s president, Todd Russo, walks us through the process. Todd provides excellent advice regarding why we need to take the maintenance of our air conditioning systems seriously.

Manufacturers recommend a thorough annual inspection of the air conditioning system. REEis utilizes a comprehensive checklist designed to look at every part and piece to ensure you get the best performance possible from your air conditioning system. While the checklist is proprietary, Todd helps us outline the aspects of your system that should be looked at, whether you do it yourself or hire a professional HVAC company licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.

Inspections begin visually.

Are all the nuts and bolts you can see in place?

Is the exterior wiring connected? Has the protective jacket deteriorated?

What is the condition of the insulation around the lines going from outside to inside? These two lines transfer the heated refrigerant liquid to the exterior compressor and return the cooled liquid back inside. Keeping the insulation around these lines is an important aspect of your cooling system.

Do the indoor and outdoor coils need to be cleaned? We live in a dusty area, so this is important. If the coil’s fins need to be cleaned, you can use compressed air or a special comb to free them of debris.

Check the thermostat wire, making sure the connections are solidly attached.

The covering of the outdoor compressor, indoor coil, and blower must be removed so you can look inside. The outside unit usually needs to be cleaned because of its exposure to dust, dirt, and even an occasionally unfortunate critter. Some of the things to look at include:

The indoor coils. These are usually okay, as they are in a more protected location.

Looking inside the cover, see if there are obvious signs of leaking oil from the motors.

Inspecting the fan cage to see if anything is broken, pitted, or damaged. Look for a wobble of any degree when the system is turned on.

Contactors are devices that, when the thermostat calls for cooling, close, signaling the need for electrical power. This “call” initiates an arcing of electricity. Over time, the electrical arc can pit the surface of the contactors, causing them to perform poorly.

Checking the filters to be sure they are not obstructing airflow. This is why you need to change them out consistently.

The next step after looking the system over is testing. This technical process utilizes specialized equipment to reveal any flaws that might be present. Manufacturers have performance criteria expressed on ranges of expected measurable criteria. Without getting too nerdy, here are some of the performance-based tests that need to be conducted:

The refrigerant levels test can determine if the system is properly charged. Leaks in the lines are one thing to look at. The information gathered can also help measure the effective operation of the compressor.

System capacitors are checked for wear by testing the electrical flow through them. Capacitors act as a kind of battery. When the motors start up, they draw more amperage as kind of a kickstart and then level out. Capacitors make this possible. Like batteries, they can wear out.

Motors are next. The system has two fan motors, one for the blower fan inside and one for the condenser fan outside. Both motors have a manufacturer rating that establishes the criteria to measure performance. The electrical amperage draw is measured. This is compared to the factory rating.

The condensate system drains humidity collected from the air. The pipes are checked for blockages. Compressed gas can be used to blow out the pipes. The pipes are also checked to be sure they are not leaking.

Airflow, distribution, and indoor temperature are checked to be sure that maximum comfort levels are being met and maintained. Static air pressure test measures airflow. If all seems to be within a certain range, great! If not, further investigation is needed. The most common problem is high pressure. High pressure indicates the system is working too hard. This can be caused by several obstacles. Improper system design is one. Duct size, part of the design, could be too small. Determining the cause involves greater system ductwork inspections. Ducts could also be leaking air through improper seals, or there could be a disconnected duct.

Temperature checks between the supplied air and returned air (temperature splits) are conducted. This tells us the system is cycling appropriately and the thermostat is working properly. If all the system parts are working properly, but it doesn’t seem to keep the room comfortable, you may want to have your home’s insulation system checked.

If you have rooms that seem to feel warmer than others, you may want to engage in a process known as “pressure mapping.” This tests the airflow in each room to be sure the flow is evenly distributed. If not, further investigation is needed, as mentioned above in “airflow.”

There is a lot to look for in an annual air conditioning system check. Efficient operation of the system saves you money on your electric bill and can catch a needed fix before it becomes a major problem.

REEis Air Conditioning takes a whole-house approach to HVAC, and that means taking every single component into account to help maximize efficiency, comfort, and longevity. They will analyze and improve every part of your home’s climate control system. Serving the Metro Phoenix area, they carry several contractor licenses, certifications, and affiliations. Their NATE-certified service technicians adhere to strict standards and take part in continual training to stay abreast of the latest industry developments. They specialize in HVAC, insulation techniques, airflow, solar heat gain, pressure balancing, and more.