Maintenance is important for all parts of your home, but certain systems require regular maintenance to ensure they are working in the most efficient and effective way possible. Your air conditioning system, for instance, requires maintenance so you can cool your home properly. However, that is not the only benefit of proper maintenance and care. This guide will help you understand the many benefits of maintaining your air conditioning system.

Improved Energy Efficiency

Cooling your home is not a simple process. A great deal of energy is required to remove air from the house to ensure it is not only cool but also free of humidity. Unfortunately, this energy usage can be quite involved.

It may be surprising to learn that air conditioners use about 6 percent of ALL the electricity produced in the United States alone. Since you are responsible for paying for your household's energy usage, understanding how much electricity is required to cool your home is smart. Thankfully, regular maintenance will help improve the energy efficiency of your AC system.

Maintenance involves a variety of tasks that can improve airflow through the home, reducing how long the system needs to run to cool your home. From replacing filters clogged with dirt and dust to cleaning debris away from the outdoor units and inspecting/repairing damaged ductwork, these maintenance tasks improve airflow, reducing how much energy is required for cooling.

Improved Air Quality

Again, your air conditioning system does more than just cool your home — it is also responsible for maintaining healthy air quality levels.

When it is working properly, the air conditioning not only removes heat from the home — it removes moisture from the home. This reduced moisture prevents mold growth and mildew from affecting the air, reducing the risk of allergy symptoms.

Clogged filters not only prevent air from flowing into the home. In most cases, the dirt, dust, and allergens clogging the filters will affect your air quality. If you or other members of your family are experiencing allergy symptoms, such as itchy, watery eyes, running nose, coughing, sneezing, skin irritations and rashes, or breathing difficulty, you may have allergies that could be prevented by replacing the system's filters periodically.

A duct cleaning can also be beneficial if you are concerned about the air quality inside your home. Using specialized equipment, all dirt, dust, mold, mildew, and pests can be removed from the system's ductwork, reducing the number of allergens that flow into the home through the vents.

Increased System Lifespan

On average, you can expect your air conditioning system to last between 15 and 20 years. Certain conditions can decrease the efficiency of the system by placing unnecessary stress on the actual unit and connecting components.

For instance, a system that is located near the ocean is exposed to salt water, which can corrode the unit and components. Also, if you use your air conditioning unit more frequently, you are placing more stress on it, decreasing its lifespan. Fortunately, you can extend the lifespan of your system with proper use and regular maintenance.

It is important to remember that inspections are a necessary part of maintenance since they help you find issues that could become potential problems. Have your system inspected thoroughly before the cooling season begins. This will ensure any underlying issues are found and addressed before running the air conditioning constantly throughout the warmer months of the year.

Help is available if you want to improve energy efficiency, protect air quality, and extend your system's lifespan. This guide will help you understand the enormous benefits of regular maintenance on your air conditioning system.

For more information, contact a company like Baton Rouge Air Conditioning & Heating.