A mini split is a unique system. It’s entirely possible that you are new at navigating the needs of a mini split. As a homeowner, it’s critical to take care of the systems in your home, so that they’ll continue to work well, and so they won’t need major repairs or early replacement. Maintenance is very important for all parts of your home.
But if you haven’t had a mini split before, you might be more familiar with the maintenance that other systems—like perhaps a traditional central air conditioner—would need. What about the mini split? How often does it need to be serviced? What will your technician do during mini split maintenance? Here’s the info you need. Whatever you do, don’t forget about mini split maintenance in Destin, FL!
How Your Mini Split Works
A traditional central air system has two parts: the outdoor unit or condenser, and the indoor unit or evaporator. Outdoors, the compressor pressurizes the refrigerant so it will flow through the coils. Indoors, that refrigerant absorbs heat, evaporating in the process. Flowing out again, it releases heat and condenses. All the cold air is created in one central unit, and it is then distributed through ductwork.
Your mini split also has an outdoor unit that contains the compressor, through which refrigerant flows. The reason a mini split has the word “split” in the name is because instead of the refrigerant circulating through a single indoor unit, the refrigerant lines split when they reach your home, each going to a separate air handler in a different part of the house.
This means that each air handler can have its own thermostat, regulating the temperature separately in each zone. Each air handler also must have its own condensate pan and drain, because the evaporator coils draw moisture from the air, just like the surface of a cold drink straight out of the fridge.
General AC Maintenance
There are many steps to AC maintenance, but they all fall under four main goals. Your technician must get the system completely clean, get moving parts properly lubricated, check all components for any concerns such as wearing out or becoming misaligned, and test electrical components for proper calibration and to make sure they’re pulling the right amperage of power.
Mini Split Specifications
There are a couple of main differences between the maintenance needs of a traditional AC unit and those of a mini split. First, there’s the drainage situation. Each air handler’s condensate pan and drain will need individual attention. Then there are the thermostats. Instead of checking the calibration of a single thermostat, each air handler’s thermostat will require testing.
Frequency of Mini Split Maintenance
It is possible for a mini split to just provide air conditioning. In that case, maintenance should be performed once a year, just like you would do for a traditional air conditioner, generally in the spring. It’s more common for a mini split system to be used with a heat pump, which provides AC in the summer and heat in the winter. Since it’s doing two jobs, it needs twice the maintenance. Schedule it for spring and fall.
For professional mini split services, look no further than Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. Contact us today!