Imagine being signed up for a marathon. The date is fast approaching and there’s little doubt in your mind that you’re going to run. Unfortunately, there is a problem. You’ve done absolutely zero training or exercise in the past eight or nine months. Your plan is to simply roll out of bed on the morning of the marathon and pull up your jogging shorts, hoping for the best. Sound like a good formula for success? If you are shaking your head no, remember that this is essentially what you’re asking your air conditioning system to do this summer.

Don’t let an out-of-shape air conditioning system go unprepared into the hot season ahead. Let’s talk about why now is the best time for getting your A/C ready for warmer weather.

Is May the Best Month for A/C Maintenance Service?

There are going to be many hot days this summer and you’re going to want your air conditioner available for all of them. An out-of-shape AC is at the greatest risk of going kaput precisely at the worst time – say, at the height of a heatwave. Think of it this way: the hotter it is, the harder your AC has to work. This adds strain, which causes components to fail and the machine to break down.

March, April, May and June are the best months for air conditioning maintenance. In other words, get it taken care of in the spring, before summer starts. 

D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling’s experienced air conditioning technicians put your AC system through a comprehensive assessment. We perform any necessary adjustments, so it’s tuned up and ready to give the greatest summer performance since Woodstock ‘69.

How Can AC Maintenance Save Money on Energy Costs?

Avoiding a potential breakdown at the worst possible time isn’t the only reason to get AC maintenance this spring. It not only lowers the risk of breakdown, but it also allows the AC to cool the whole house much more efficiently. And since your air conditioner is one of the most expensive appliances in you home to run, even a small boost in efficiency can make a noticeable difference on your monthly power bill.

Schedule air conditioner maintenance service as early in the season as possible because the earlier you get it taken care of, the greater the cost-savings on your energy bill. It’s still worth considering in June or even July or August, but for those who want to get the most bang for their buck we definitely recommend sooner rather than later.

Replace Your Old AC with a New Energy-Efficient System

“To replace or repair your AC… that is the question.” And for those confronted with a hefty AC repair bill, it can indeed be quite the Shakespearan quandary.

We recommend that if your AC is about 15 years or older and the repair bill is 50% of the cost of replacing it with a new one, get the replacement. Air conditioners also tend to be less reliable as they get older, so more repairs could be on the way.

Newer air conditioners are much more energy-efficient than models made a decade or more ago, which can help offset some of the expense of the replacement, but that’s not the only way a replacement AC system can save you money…

Do Your Part to Help Reduce Inflation and Get a Sweet Cash Rebate

If you’re considering replacing your old clunker of an AC, here’s a big incentive. Have you heard of the Inflation Reduction Act? As the name suggests, the goal is reducing rampant inflation. It was signed into law in 2022 and one of the ways it aims to accomplish this goal is by promoting clean energy and energy efficiency here in the U.S.A.

It offers a variety of savings options, but one of the biggest is $8,000 to upgrade to a heat pump system. If you’ve never used a heat pump before, it’s a versatile, energy-efficient system. The coolest thing about a heat pump is that it acts as an air conditioner in the summer and a heater in the winter. That’s one machine doing the job of two and doing both of them quite effectively.

Check out our previous post for more information about how D&F and the Inflation Reduction Act can help save you on home upgrades.

Call D&F Today & Get Your A/C Set for Summer!

A little preparation goes a long way. And running a marathon without any prep isn’t just a harebrained idea – it’s dangerous. Don’t try it – and don’t force your air conditioner to huff and puff through another hot Portland summer. It can result in a broken A/C, and a hefty repair bill.

Now is the perfect time to schedule summertime A/C maintenance, so give D&F a call now!