You are here » History of Air Conditioning History of Air ConditioningExercising proper air conditioner preventive maintenance is a must if you want to keep cool when temperatures rise outside. This becomes especially true if you live in an area where the climate is hot throughout the year. The last thing you want to happen is for your AC to malfunction when you need it most. To prevent such an unfortunate event from occurring, this guide will feature several air conditioner maintenance tips to keep your unit running properly. Even if you are not the most technical person around and have no experience working with AC parts, changing your filter is probably the simplest tip when it comes to air conditioning maintenance. The reason why changing your filter is so important is that you can reduce a lot of the burden on your system. An AC that has a filter that is clogged and full of dust or other particles will expend more energy than one with a clean filter. You can find replacement filters at home improvement stores or even at certain grocery stores.

Most are inexpensive, but you need to make sure that you get the right match to fit your system. Once you have the replacement filter, installing it can take just a few minutes to complete. In the end, your AC will function more efficiently, which will lower your energy bill and extend its life. You will also reap the benefits of having cleaner air in your home. As for how often you should change your filter, doing it every month or every other month, depending on your personal preference, should be fine. The simplicity and low cost of changing your filter makes it a home air conditioner maintenance tip that you should definitely employ. Air conditioner filters are certainly important parts in the realm of air conditioner maintenance, but so are coils. If coils are not properly maintained and left unobstructed, your system will have to use more energy than it should to function properly. This could eventually lead to your system overworking itself and breaking down. The AC coils and fins on your outside unit can be cleaned rather easily with a standard broom and a garden hose.

You can also use a nylon brush if you prefer. Wash the parts to get any obstructing elements off of them, such as leaves or other debris. While you may think that using a pressure washer will do a better job of cleaning the parts, you should never use one, as its strong spray could actually cause more harm than good. If you have an inside AC unit, you can clean it in a similar manner prior to installing it for the hot months and before storing it away for the cold months.ac unit las vegas A common theme with home air conditioner maintenance is the importance of eliminating obstructions. clean wall mounted air conditioner unitWhether it's the filter or the coils, an obstructed AC will wear down quicker than it should. floor ac unit targetIt's quite likely that your outside AC unit is surrounded by plants, shrubs, trees, or fencing.

These can block your unit's air flow, so you want to make sure that there is at least one foot of free space between your unit and any other objects. The same holds true for an indoor unit. You want to keep it unobstructed, so avoid having curtains or drapes hanging over a unit while it is in operation. Believe it or not, your thermostat can play a great role in air conditioning maintenance. The more your AC runs, the more strain is put on the system. If you work during the day, you should set your thermostat at a higher temperature so that your AC will not run as much while you are gone. You can lower the temperature as soon as you get home. This reduces overall strain and AC use and also results in a lower energy bill at the end of the month. If you have a window unit, you should turn it off when you leave home since window units typically use more energy than outdoor units meant to cool entire homes. A window unit will cool a room in little to no time at all, so you won't have to sacrifice much in terms of comfort by simply shutting yours off when you are not around.

To keep your home cooler while you are gone, close your curtains or blinds to block out the sun. Many thermostats now come equipped with innovative technology that will allow you to program your thermostat to fit your exact needs. If you are lucky enough to have one of these in your home, use it to your advantage to optimize your system's usage and maximize its life over the long run. Just as oil changes are essential to keeping cars running properly, a yearly tune-up is an important part of air conditioner maintenance. You should perform all of the aforementioned tips to keep your AC running properly in addition to having an HVAC contractor come out once a year to perform preventive maintenance. Air conditioner tune-ups typically involve various tests to make sure that all of your unit's internal parts are functioning as they should. A contractor will also check your filter to make sure it's clean and charge your unit with refrigerant during a tune-up. can help you find a reputable contractor in your area to perform routine air conditioner maintenance.

In addition to tune-ups, the over 200 dealers and contractors, many of whom are NATE certified, you will find in our directory can help with the installation, replacement, and repair of a wide variety of Bryant and Carrier cooling and heating systems. does not supply HVAC products or services directly, but we will help you find an HVAC professional in your area to fill your needs.Watsco Inc. is the largest distributor of air conditioning, heating and refrigeration equipment and related parts and supplies (HVAC/R) in the HVAC/R distribution industry.  Watsco was founded more than 60 years ago as a manufacturer of parts and components for HVAC/R equipment and entered the distribution segment in 1989. The Company’s revenues in HVAC/R distribution have increased from $64.1 million in 1989 to $4.1 billion in 2015 via a strategy of acquiring companies with established market position and subsequently building revenues and profit through a combination of adding locations, products, services and other initiatives.

Watsco’s goal is to build a network of locations that provide the finest service and product availability for HVAC/R contractors, assisting and supporting them as they serve homeowners and businesses. Watsco has approximately 5,000 employees serving 88,000 active customers who in turn, service, repair or replace HVAC/R systems. At June 30, 2016, the Company operated 563 locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico with additional market coverage on an export basis to Latin America and the Caribbean.  Watsco is the only publicly-traded HVAC/R distributor. The Company’s Common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol WSO; the Company’s Class B common stock is traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol WSOB. Watsco was founded in 1947 as a heating and cooling equipment and door and window parts manufacturer originally known as Wagner Tools. In 1963, Watsco became a publicly listed company, joined the American Stock Exchange in 1968 and later joined the NYSE in 1994.

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Albert H. Nahmad, has been with Watsco since December 1972 when he acquired a controlling interest in the Company from its founder, William Wagner. From 1973 to 1988, Watsco grew from $5 million in revenues to $25 million as a manufacturer of parts, components and tools used in the HVAC/R industry. In 1989, the Company shifted its focus from manufacturing to distribution by acquiring Gemaire Distributors Inc., a South Florida-based Rheem distributor. In 1990, Watsco acquired the California Rheem distributor Heating & Cooling Supply Inc., and within five years, purchased two other Rheem distributors, one in Texas and another in North Carolina. By 1997, Watsco added other OEMs to the mix and moved into commercial refrigeration as a result of the acquisition of Baker Distributing Company. Watsco exited the manufacturing business in 1999 selling it to International Comfort Products Corporation, now part of Carrier Corporation (Carrier). 

In addition to divesting its manufacturing business in 1998, Watsco sold its staffing unit, Dunhill Staffing Systems, Inc., to ATS Group LLC in 2007 in order to focus solely on the distribution of HVAC/R products. Watsco continued its acquisition strategy in the 2000s acquiring a number of other businesses including Pameco (52 locations), East Coast Metal Distributors (27 locations), ACR Group, Inc. (54 locations) and several other smaller businesses.  In 2009, Watsco completed its largest acquisition to date with the formation of a joint venture with Carrier. The HVAC/R distribution industry is highly fragmented with approximately 2,300 distribution companies. The industry in the U.S. and Canada is well-established, having had its primary period of growth during the post-World War II era with the advent of affordable central air conditioning and heating systems for both residential and commercial applications.  The advent of HVAC/R products in Latin America and the Caribbean is also well-established, but has emerged in more recent years as economies have grown and products have become more affordable and have matured from luxury to necessity.

The marketplace for HVAC/R products at the consumer level is estimated to be $80 billion. Residential central air conditioners are manufactured primarily by seven major companies that together account for approximately 90% of all units shipped in the U.S. each year. These companies are: Carrier Corporation (Carrier), a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, Goodman Manufacturing Company, L.P. (Goodman), a subsidiary of Daikin Industries, Ltd., Rheem Manufacturing Company (Rheem), Trane Inc., a subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited, York International Corporation, a subsidiary of Johnson Controls, Inc., Lennox International, Inc. and Nordyne Corporation (Nordyne), a subsidiary of Nortek Corporation. These manufacturers distribute their products through a combination of factory-owned and independent distributors who, in turn, supply the equipment and related parts and supplies to contractors and dealers nationwide that sell to and install the products for consumers, businesses and other end-users.

Central air conditioning and heating equipment is sold to the residential replacement market, the commercial market and residential new construction market. The replacement market has increased in importance over the past several years as a result of the aging of the installed base of residential central air conditioners and furnaces, the introduction of new higher energy efficient models, the remodeling and expansion of existing homes, the addition of central air conditioning to homes that previously had only heating products and consumers’ overall unwillingness to live without air conditioning or heating products. The mechanical life of central air conditioning and furnaces varies by geographical region due to usage and is estimated to range from 8 to 20 years. According to data published by the Energy Information Administration, there are approximately 89 million central air conditioning and heating systems installed in the U.S. that have been in service for more than 10 years.