Air conditioning maintenance keeps your home's air conditioner operating smoothly, and regular maintenance can help save you money. The two most important aspects of maintaining an air conditioner are replacing the air filters before they get too dirty and rinsing the condenser coils in the outdoor unit. To learn how proper maintenance saves you money in the long run, read on. 

Regular Air Conditioning Maintenance Keeps It Operating Efficiently

Replacing your air conditioner's filter according to schedule and periodically cleaning off the condenser coils boosts energy efficiency, helping you save money on your home's energy bills.

One of the functions of your air conditioner's filter is to keep dust off of the evaporator coils inside your home. The evaporator coils contain ice-cold refrigerant, and the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air inside your home in order to cool it down.

If the evaporator coils become covered in dust, they won't absorb as much heat from the air. The dust acts as an insulator that prevents heat transfer. Your air conditioner will have to run more often in order to keep your home cool, which increases your energy bills. Replacing your air filter on time will keep dust from collecting on the coils, making your air conditioner cool your home more quickly.

Rinsing the condenser coils also helps your air conditioner keep your home cooler. The condenser coils contain hot refrigerant that releases its heat into the outside air. Pollen and dust will collect on the coils. Like with the evaporator coils, any dust or pollen on the coils will prevent proper heat transfer. When the refrigerant can't release its heat into the air, your air conditioner won't be able to cool your home as well.

Maintaining Your Air Conditioner Reduces the Chance You'll Need to Have It Repaired

Maintaining your air conditioner properly also reduces the likelihood it will need repairs, so you'll be able to save money by reducing repair costs.

When you don't replace your air filter often enough and it becomes clogged with dust, less air can flow through the filter. The blower fan inside your home has to work much harder in order to keep air circulating since it struggles to move air through the dirty filter. This increases the risk that the motor in the blower fan will burn out.

Keeping the condenser coils clean also protects your air conditioner from being damaged. If the condenser coils are so covered in dust that they struggle to release any heat into the air, your outdoor air conditioning unit is at a greater risk of overheating. Overheating can cause severe damage to the components in the outdoor unit, and you'll need to pay to replace any parts that fail because of overheating.

Overall, maintaining your air conditioner saves you money by keeping your energy bills low and reducing the chance of your air conditioner needing repairs due to low airflow or overheating. If you don't want to maintain your air conditioner yourself or are worried about damaging it while cleaning it, call an air conditioning maintenance service in your area and have it done by professionals. Paying for professional maintenance is often worth it in the long run because of the money that good maintenance will save you.

Contact a company like Baton Rouge Air Conditioning & Heating to learn more.