Ah, summer. Cookouts, swimming pools, camping––it’s the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. And when it’s time to come back indoors, there’s nothing better than that cool blast you feel from your home’s air conditioning unit.

At Wheatland Electric, our goal is to provide safe and reliable power to our members. We also want to help you use energy wisely by practicing efficiency habits. It’s common sense that if you use less electricity, your bill will be lower. But there’s more to it than that. Basic energy efficiency practices, like caulking around windows and doors, turning off lights when you leave the room and using a programmable thermostat, are great ways to start saving. Another great way to start saving is to have an annual HVAC system tune-up. This preventative maintenance will keep your HVAC system up and running all season long with no surprise breakdowns, while operating at top efficiency.

The most prominent benefits of an HVAC tune-up.

Lower energy bills: A neglected system slowly loses its ability to keep your home comfortable at the same level of efficiency it once did. Just as a car tune-up delivers better gas mileage, your HVAC system consumes less fuel after receiving professional maintenance.

Fewer repairs: Calling for a tune-up now could help catch problems before they become disastrous. For example, a fraying belt could result in strange noises. If a technician replaces it in time, you can avoid the expensive repair that results from a snapped belt whipping around inside. By preventing future repairs, annual maintenance pays for itself.

Lower chance of a catastrophic breakdown: Everyone wants an incident-free cooling and heating season. It’s inconvenient and uncomfortable when equipment breaks down on a sweltering summer afternoon when you need your HVAC system most. The odds of this happening when you schedule inspections every year are greatly diminished.

Longer life: Air conditioners, furnaces and other HVAC equipment function best when they’re regularly serviced and cleaned. One malfunctioning part can cause a domino effect that causes the entire system to break down. Regular maintenance prevents this from happening and adds years to your equipment’s lifespan.

Safer equipment operation: A failing HVAC system does more than cost a lot of money to repair; it also can endanger your family. Electric HVAC systems can develop a short circuit, which is a serious fire hazard if ignored.

Follow the graphic below if you want to evaluate the efficiency of your HVAC system.