Inspecting Your AC System Correctly
An air conditioner is a rather expensive appliance. If you’re currently living in a house with central air, go ahead and thank your lucky stars because not everyone gets to enjoy such luxury! However, if your unit is on the fritz and needs some repairs or maintenance, you need to know how to inspect the machine yourself before requesting any work from professionals.
Be sure that it hasn’t been too long since your last inspection. Your air conditioner should be running for about an hour every day. That will help prevent dust build-up and cool everything down between inspections.
If everything appears normal – filters clean and/or replaced, no leaks detected – you can continue.
A leaking air conditioner is a major problem. Not only does it need to be repaired immediately but such issues can lead to mold and mildew building up. If your unit is leaking, don’t touch anything else until professional assistance has been sought. You could electrocute yourself if the leak is electrical or even become ill from mold exposure.
If you do what needs to be done: shut off power to the unit and make sure it stays off; protect your skin and eyes; open windows for ventilation; and prepare to pay a pretty penny for repairs!
If you inspect an air conditioner without checking the obvious, you could end up with more problems down the road. Just because your air works fine when inspected doesn’t mean it will continue working properly if all of its parts are in disrepair. There are several easily overlooked things that indicate trouble beyond dirt and damage.
The Importance Of Hiring An AC Expert
As a homeowner, you may want to think that you can do everything yourself. There are some things, however, that it is simply better to hire out. One of these is the inspection of your air conditioner. That’s because an AC expert has access to equipment and knowledge that most homeowners don’t have, click here to learn more.
An air conditioner uses refrigerant gas compressed in coils inside the unit. The gas flows through coils configured like fins on an evaporator and like tubes on a compressor. If there is dirt or other contaminants in this fluid or if the system is low on refrigerant, then problems will develop with your AC unit over time. The equipment used by an AC technician can detect small issues and tell if the system is low on refrigerant before it becomes a major problem.
The second reason to hire someone for this kind of work is access to specialized tools designed to test equipment like the compressor, fan blades, and electrical connections. These high-tech instruments will detect possible problems with your air conditioner well before they would become noticeable enough for you to notice them. Further, the use of such tools helps prevent further damage from occurring in places that might be overlooked otherwise.
Repair Or Replace Your AC System
When it comes time to replace your air conditioner, you might be tempted to just stick with what you have. After all, you’ve been taking care of it and haven’t had any problems recently. Replacing it will cost money which is something you don’t really want to spend. However, spending a little more on a new AC model will save you in the long run because repairing an old one is going to end up costing much more than buying a brand new unit that has higher energy efficiency ratings and other benefits.
Most people go into their AC repair thinking they’re going to spend a couple of hundred dollars at most for repairs, but this isn’t the case. Repairs can actually lead to bigger issues later on if they aren’t done right. You might need to replace the compressor, evaporator coil, condenser, or a number of other components which will cost more than just buying a new AC unit.
