[Nancy Rodriguez]

Very helpful, thanks

Originally Posted by jrref

You are going to get responses that say yes, "I do it myself", all the way to I've never serviced my system and it's still going strong for 20 years.

The facts are:
1) You need to pour some hot water down the condensate line one a month.
2) Over time the start capacitor will start to wear out and need replacing.
3) You need to clean the outside condenser and inside evaporator coils at least once a year.
4) You will need to change the filter probably every 6 -12 months.
5) The freon level needs to be checked at once a year to make sure you don't have a leak.
6) You want to check the current draw on the Fan and Compressor once a year.

So, can you do this stuff yourself?
Yes for #1, #4, and maybe #3 & #6 but not #5 and #2 needs explanation.

For #2, Yes, you can wait for your system to stop running and go on Amazon and purchase and install a new start capacitor. But as the capacitor wears out, it puts additional strain on the compressor potentially shortening its life, so you want to test it and change it when it starts going out of spec... And yes, if you have a reputable HVAC company, they will tell you when the start capacitor is out of spec and recommend you change it. Also, there are the cheap $20 Chinese capacitors, and the more expensive $60+ American Made capacitors on Amazon. The Chinese ones will not last as long and you will be spending more money in the long run vs getting the better American made capacitor.

Unless you have the special gauges and know about refrigeration, #5 is not a DIY task. But with a sealed system you shouldn't be leaking any freon and you want to check the freon charge to make sure you don't have a leak. When you have a significant leak, the system will eventually just blow hot air. Generally, your HVAC system could develop a very small leak and freon will leak out over time.

Generally, most Villagers have a maintenance plan with a reputable HVAC contractor here in the Villages. But there are a significant number who do maintenance themselves and many who just ignore their system until it stops running.

So, does yearly maintenance prevent failures? Yes and no. You can prevent start capacitor failures, premature compressor and fan failures and leak failures, condensate drain failures, but no maintenance plan is going to guarantee no failures over time.

My opinion is, if you don't want to get caught in the heat of the summer with no A/C then get a maintenance contract with your favorite HVAC contractor. Talk to your friends and neighbors and see who they use. Avoid the "chuck with the truck" guys. If you like to gamble, then do nothing or DIY knowing that you are leaving out some critical checks.

Hope this helps.