This is been a great summer, weather wise, for the Kansas City area. Do you ever remember a summer in the last 10 years that was like this? According to the U.S. weather Service in Kansas City, July 15th set a new record low temperature of 54 degrees, for that date at the KC International Airport. Now that’s cool!
With the cooler, more comfortable temperatures, you may not be relying on your air conditioner like you did last summer. Last year the average temperature in July was 88 degrees. July is normally the hottest month of the year for Kansas City. Not so this year. The average rain fall in June is usually 5.52”. Kansas City was soaked with over 8” of rain in June this year. With the amount of rain in Kansas City, the weeds have been more prevalent, the grass needs to be cut more often and the cottonwood is in full force. Both cottonwood and grass clippings can cause damage to your air conditioner.
How does cottonwood and grass damage your air conditioner?
Your air conditioner runs efficiently when allowed to operate with unobstructed air flow. To cool your house, the air flows over the coils in your air conditioner to cool, or take the humidity, out of the air through your system. Cottonwood and grass clippings get caught in the fins of the coils, clog them and restricts that airflow. Taking a hose to your equipment to spray off the cottonwood and grass only makes the situation worse as the cottonwood and grass are forced deeper into the unit.
The best course of action to avoid this restricted air flow is to let a professional service your AC unit according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. This professional maintenance appointment will include, among other actions, washing and burning the coils.
How long should my air conditioner last?
A well maintained unit should last 15-20 years. Technology along with its efficiency, has come a long way in the last 25 years. If your equipment is not yet 15-20 years old, it is fiscally beneficial for you to plan for its replacement down the road. Use the “funded depreciation principle” by putting money aside for the future loss of the equipment. Putting $300-500 a month aside for the purchase of new equipment that you want, not the equipment you can afford will put you in a strong financial position when the time comes to replacing your HVAC equipment. It is not a matter of ‘if your AC goes out’ it is a matter of ‘when will it go out’. Your HVAC system was not designed to last forever. Do what you can to ensure that one of the 5 most expensive things you will buy for your home lasts as long as it is suppose to! You can’t ask your air conditioner to cool a home 30 degrees below the outside temperature. However, with proper and regular maintenance, you will increase the ability for your equipment to provide a comfortable temperature for you and your family indoors. If you don’t want to think about it, get a Service Efficiency Agreement from C.M. Mose & Son and leave the “taking care of your valuable air conditioning equipment” to us! When it comes time to replace your equipment, use the American made equipment from American Standard!
Enjoy the cooler summer weather we are having right now because we’re not sure how long it will last. Before it does heat up and you need your AC to work properly, make sure you have your Air conditioner serviced so it runs efficiently this summer and to extend the life of your expensive equipment.