A properly functioning air conditioning unit is a necessity in the South Florida heat, and while you may not use your heater very often, it needs to work correctly and efficiently to keep your home comfortable during the occasional chilly winter evening.
Regular preventative maintenance is essential to ensuring that your HVAC system will do its job year round. Make sure that your air conditioner and heater is maintained by an experienced professional—like a South Florida Best Pick!
Miami Air Conditioning Repair and Maintenance
Troubleshooting your air conditioning and heating system
If your air conditioner isn’t working quite as well as it used to, or if you’ve noticed your utility bills steadily increasing, a call to a reputable HVAC company should be on your to-do list.
In the meantime, however, there are a few things you can do on your own to rule out some quick fixes:
- Replace the filter. Air doesn’t flow freely through dirty filters, which means that your HVAC system is forced to work harder than necessary, reducing its efficiency. Replace your filters every quarter (or monthly if you have allergies or pets).
- Check your thermostat batteries. If your system won’t turn on altogether and the thermostat screen is blank, replace the batteries in the thermostat. If the system still doesn’t turn on, there’s a larger problem at play.
- Review your temperature settings. Your thermostat settings play a large part in how well and how efficiently your HVAC system works. Try to keep your air conditioner set at 78 degrees and your heater set at 68 degrees.
If your system still doesn’t work correctly in spite of a fresh filter, new thermostat batteries, and the recommended temperature settings, your HVAC contractor will thoroughly inspect your air conditioner and heater to find the source of the problem.
Before your HVAC technician leaves your house, get on his or her schedule for regular maintenance visits. Aim for two visits per year—one in the spring and one in the fall.
A typical HVAC maintenance visit
During a semiannual maintenance visit, your HVAC technician will look over all components of your air conditioning and heating system to ensure that everything is working correctly. These preventative inspections help catch small problems before they worsen, which can also extend the lifespan of your system.
Here’s what you can expect your technician to do:
- Check and replace your furnace filter
- Clean the outside air conditioner compressor of dirt and debris
- Check all electrical connections to make sure they’re secure
- Inspect the furnace fan for damage or deterioration
- Lubricate all moving parts to prevent premature or uneven wear and tear
- Remove any clogs in the condensate drain
- Test the entire system to make sure it works correctly
- Check thermostat function and temperature settings
Depending on the type of HVAC system you have, this exact list of tasks may vary slightly, but the important thing to remember is to stick to your maintenance schedule. These regular visits are the best way to ensure that your home stays comfortable all year.
The Best Picks for Top South Florida Heating and Air Conditioning Companies
A broken or inefficient air conditioner is a major problem in Florida’s hot and humid weather, and that’s why the Best Pick Reports survey team reaches out to South Florida homeowners each year to find the very best air conditioning and heating companies near you.
All Best Pick companies are vetted on an annual basis for quality of work and excellent customer service. We verify all state-required licenses and insurance every year, too. Our rigorous qualification process ensures that the companies we recommend are indeed the best of the best, and we’re proud to present that information in a clear, easy-to-navigate format.
When you work with a South Florida heating and air Best Pick, you’ll have a great experience from beginning to end—we guarantee it!