Air Conditioning Maintenance in Allentown Central Air Preventative & Seasonal Maintenance Preventative maintenance on your AC unit is necessary to ensure that your system is working correctly and efficiently all of the time. Our team at MBI HVAC in Allentown provides high-quality, dependable service for all of your air conditioning needs. We take special care in maintaining your AC systems to ensure smooth operation and long-lasting service. Your Air Conditioning Tune-Up We recommend a routine tune-up for your air conditioning system once a year. By maintaining your unit regularly, weaknesses or underlying issues can be determined and fixed immediately, giving you peace of mind. Replace your 1” pleated “ allergy” filter You’ll breathe easier with a clean filter. Air conditioning filters allow your system to run more efficiently, saving you money on energy bills and preventing costly repairs or replacement. A clean filter improves your home’s air quality.

The dense mesh material traps and eliminates allergens like pollen and mold, promoting a cleaner living environment for you and your family. Clean the evaporator and condenser coils. While a clean filter can help keep your air conditioner’s evaporator coil and condenser coil free of dust and grime, months or years of use can still cause dirt to collect. diamond air purifier reviewDirt can reduce airflow and insulate the coil, reducing its ability to absorb heat. air purifiers to remove dustWe will carefully examine and clean your AC coils to ensure smooth operation.air purifier and open window Inspect, clean, and prevent mold build-up in the drain line. The condensate drain serves an important role in removing condensation produced by your AC’s evaporator coil.

Without routine inspection and cleaning, algae and mold can grow inside and clog the drain, causing increased humidity, musty odors, and even water damage inside your home. Our certified HVAC technicians thoroughly clean the drain line and insert anti-algae tablets into the drain pan to prevent slime build-up from dampening your summer plans. Inspect all cooling operations. The purpose of your air conditioning unit is to keep you and your family cool, after all. During our AC tune-ups, we measure the temperature difference between the supply and return air, or the temperature drop. Through this process, we can define the performance of your air conditioning system to ensure it’s running effectively. Record and measure the amp draw on your AC’s motors. Amp draw is a measurement of the power being used by the motor to move the air through your air conditioning system. Improper amperage can drastically reduce the life of the compressor, evaporator and condenser motor by putting more stress on the unit.

We can locate this issue before new parts are necessary. Inspect unit for proper refrigerant level and adjust if necessary. If your refrigerant levels are low, there may be a leak in your system. A Freon leakage prompts an environmental and operational hazard, and can result in a compressor failure and other system problems. Through proper maintenance and regular tune-ups, we can catch any potential problems before they arise. Nobody likes to pay more than they need to. Duct leakage can lower energy efficiency by 20% in a well-operating air conditioner. In order to ensure your air conditioning unit is running efficiently, we visually inspect all ductwork to prevent loose duct connections, supply leaks, kinks restricting airflow, and more. Ductwork is very susceptible to damage and should be examined regularly. A/C and Gas Furnace Tune-Up A/C and Gas Boiler Tune-Up A/C and Oil Heat Tune-Up 2 Complete Systems deduct 5% 3 or more Complete Systems deduct 10%

(Complete System = A/C & Heat) Benefits of Maintaining Your AC System Regular maintenance and proper care of your air conditioner is the most cost-effective way to get the most out of your investment. It can provide you with benefits that save you time and money. We care for your AC system so it’s here for the long haul. Extends the life of your system Regular maintenance on your air conditioning system can prevent major breakdowns, prolonging the life of your system. Often, AC systems fail before the end of their estimated life cycle because the unit is not properly maintained. Reduces energy and repair costs Everyone likes to save some green. An air conditioner that runs efficiently costs much less to operate than one experiencing problems from malfunctioning parts or worn belts. Replacing worn and damaged parts is also less costly than having to replace the entire system due to severe damage. Preventative maintenance on your AC system can allow problems to be repaired before they become larger issues and save you costs on your energy bill each month.

Routine maintenance ensures that your system is operating safely and delivering improved indoor air quality. Through regular use, air conditioning systems can collect dirt and debris that pollute the air from clogged air filters. Replacing the filter during an AC tune-up will allow you to breathe a sigh of relief.Our tech was very nice and went right to work. Seemed to be very knowledgeable about his work.Given the Raleigh/Wake Forest area’s hot summers, you probably know some basic facts about your air conditioner, but do you know how the evaporator and condenser coils actually operate? If the inner workings of your A/C are a mystery to you, you’ll benefit from learning a few simple technical details about how your cooling system does its job. No matter how much your air conditioner operates, it’s important to perform routine A/C maintenance that keeps your evaporator and condenser coils and the rest of your system running efficiently. If something does go wrong, you’ll be better able to troubleshoot the problem.

Your knowledge will also help you make smart choices when you’re ready to buy replacement components or upgrade your air conditioner. Air conditioners don’t actually “produce” cold air in the way a furnace produces heat. Instead, they use refrigerant, or coolant, to absorb heat from the air, carry that heat outdoors, and release it into the air outdoors. The refrigerant circulates continuously to remove more and more heat from your home until your indoor air temperature reaches the one you’ve chosen on the thermostat. Evaporator and condenser coils handle different sides of the cooling cycle. An air conditioner‘s evaporator coil, also called the evaporator core, is the part of the system where the refrigerant absorbs heat. That is, it’s where the cold air comes from. The evaporator coil is located inside or near the air handler where the blower fan is. Evaporator coils are made from copper, steel or aluminum because these metals conduct heat easily. Most residential A/C evaporators consists of tubes bent into U-shapes and set into panels.

The panels are typically positioned in the form of an A. These panels are lined with thin pieces of metal known as “fins,” which bring the passing air to be cooled closer to the coils in order to maximize the effect of the refrigerant. As the air conditioner runs, the compressor pulls cold, low-pressure liquid refrigerant through the tubing in the evaporator coil. Before entering the evaporator coil, the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve. This valve relieves pressure from the liquid refrigerant, which rapidly cools it. The liquid refrigerant leaving the expansion valve is quite cold, which is what allows it to absorb heat from the air. The expansion valve also controls exactly how much refrigerant flows to the evaporator. More advanced expansion valves, such as thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs), can minutely control the flow to improve the system’s overall energy efficiency. As the refrigerant flows, the blower fan draws hot room air over the evaporator coil.

The refrigerant absorbs heat from the passing air and, as it does so, it warms up and evaporates. When the water vapor in your warm household air hits the cold evaporator coils, the water vapor condenses into liquid form and drips down into the condensate pan, which drains the water away outdoors. This is how your evaporator coil reduces the humidity in your home. Because of the way they operate, evaporator and condenser coils both need to be kept clean to perform as intended and reach optimal energy efficiency. A dirty evaporator coil can experience a number of problems, including: Even a fine layer of dust on the evaporator coil reduces its efficiency. The dust acts as an insulator, keeping the heat in and the air away from the cold coils. That means the coil can’t absorb as much heat as it can when clean. Your system will then have to run longer to provide the indoor temperature you want, which means it will use more energy. Because it isn’t absorbing enough heat, the refrigerant running through a dirty evaporator coil doesn’t warm up as much as it should.

This very cold refrigerant causes water vapor in your air to freeze rather than condense into a liquid. Eventually, the whole evaporator coil can frost over. A layer of frost on your evaporator is never normal. Letting your system run with a frozen evaporator raises the temperature in the compressor and can eventually cause this component to fail. Dust on the evaporator coil, debris on the outdoor condenser unit, a dirty air filter, and a refrigerator leak can all cause the evaporator to freeze. If you can’t pinpoint the problem, contact a heating and cooling technician. Evaporator coils can also develop tiny pinhole leaks due to corrosion caused by the mixing of moisture from condensation with chemicals commonly found in household air. Oily residue around the evaporator or in the drain pan is a sign your coil is leaky and requires replacement. The airborne chemicals that encourage these leaks are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and come from new carpeting, upholstery, pressed wood furniture, air fresheners, cleaning chemicals and many other sources.

Ensuring good home ventilation reduces the VOCs in your indoor air, protecting both the evaporator coil and your health. Evaporator and condenser coils work together to cool your home, so the evaporator coil wouldn’t be much good without a condenser coil to complete the second half of the cooling cycle. Your air conditioner’s condenser is contained in the large, square unit outside your house. Although the whole unit is called the “condenser unit,” it actually contains multiple components, including the condenser tubes and fins, the compressor, a fan and copper tubing, as well as valves and switches. After the refrigerant absorbs heat from your home’s air, it travels outside via a copper tube to the condenser unit. Here, the low-pressure, warm refrigerant gas enters the compressor. The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant, turning it into a hot, high-pressure gas. This gas leaves the compressor and flows into the condenser coils. This is where the refrigerant releases much of the heat it absorbed from your home.

The fan on top of the outdoor unit blows air over the condenser coils so the refrigerant inside loses heat. The condenser’s many coils increase the amount of time the refrigerant is in the path of blowing air, giving it plenty of time to release the heat it carried out of your home. As it cools, the refrigerant changes from a hot gas to a hot liquid. From there, it flows back through a copper tube into your home and into the expansion valve located in the indoor unit near the evaporator coil. Good airflow is critical for both evaporator and condenser coils. Both these components transfer heat, and dust or debris interferes with their ability to do this. For condenser units, the most common threat is a buildup of yard debris on the fins. This usually takes the form of grass clippings, fallen leaves, twigs and pet hair that make it harder for the condenser to release heat. This reduces your A/C’s energy efficiency and places strain on the condenser and other components. Check the condenser periodically and, if you notice debris buildup, shut off power to your whole system and use a stiff brush to gently clean the fins.

On occasion, an air conditioner condenser can develop frost or even a complete casing of ice. Assuming the condenser unit itself is clean, ice-ups like this usually mean there’s an airflow problem elsewhere in your system. This could be a dirty air filter, dirty air registers and vents, a duct blockage or a dirty evaporator coil. Ice on the condenser can also be caused by low refrigerant, which requires a call to a technician. When the cooling season ends, protect the outdoor condenser from the elements by covering the top with a piece of wood held down at all four corners by bricks. This keeps snow from piling up inside. You may have seen your neighbors’ condensers wrapped up in plastic for the winter, but this approach can do more harm than good. Covering the whole unit traps moisture inside, encouraging rust. It also makes the unit more tempting for animals seeking shelter. Learn more about evaporator and condenser coils, as well as our air conditioning solutions, or call 919-887-2132 to schedule an appointment!