There's a lot of life in your central air system. You have a lot of control over whether your AC will last as long as it should, or not. If you're not careful, you can actually shorten your AC's lifespan. Conversely, you can also increase it. Here's what you need to know about your AC's longevity.

The Life of Your AC Is Affected by Its Parts

Your central air consists of various parts working in concert. Each of these parts have a lifespan of their own.

• Condenser – The outside unit, which also contains the compressor.
• Compressor – Inside the condenser, it pressurizes refrigerant.
• Expansion valve – Moves refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator.
• Evaporator – Turns refrigerant into gas.

It's the combination of these and their associated parts that give your central air its overall longevity. Taking care of each one will make sure your AC lives through its rated lifespan and even beyond.

It All starts with the Installation

A non-professional installation can shave years off the life of your central air. All the aforementioned components need proper installation, testing, and calibration. If this doesn't happen, you may have an AC that's out of balance. This can lead to a number of issues, including premature wear and tear on some, or all, of the components.

A few hallmarks of a faulty installation can include your AC needing frequent repairs, or not cooling as it should. An imbalance of your central air components can even damage other things, such as your furnace. This is one reason why central air units need compatibility with your furnace.

Keep Your Central Air Unit Alive with Maintenance

A professional installation is only the beginning. From there you need to maintain your central air unit. There are a few things you can do yourself. At the very least, you should change out dirty filters, and keep debris off the outside unit.

Keeping the AC components maintained guarantees they will make it through their rated lifespans. In addition, it decreases the likelihood of problems developing that can lower your overall AC system's lifespan.

Even if you don't do any maintenance yourself, you should still have a professional inspect and service your central air unit once a year. An AC contractor can let you know if your unit needs any additional work. Besides, the cost of some preventive maintenance typically costs a lot less than a costly repair.

For more information, talk to a professional like A-1 American Services.