Summer is a time when everyone goes outside to play. But they do so under the impression that they can seek relief from the hot summer days inside their cool, temperature-controlled home. This sigh of relief comes from a fully functional air conditioner. We need our cooling system to make summer more enjoyable and, in some cases, safe when a home gets too hot and can create health concerns, especially for young children and the elderly.
Though you likely have a lot on your mind for the upcoming season, like home improvements you want to do or planning a trip to the beach, you should start to think about the condition of your AC. Not as fun as decorating a new home office, we will admit, but addressing your air conditioners’ needs now is crucial to the comfort of your home. This blog focuses on the different types of air conditioners your home might have and the best maintenance tips we could find—put them all in one place.
Types Of Air Conditioners
There are many different types of air conditioners available. In fact, there are more than you might think. From a basic window unit that sits lodged in between the base of the window and frame to a centralized unit that has many parts and a duct system, these all provide much-needed home comfort. What type of cooling system does your home have? Do you have to turn on a thermostat in a hallway? Is there a unit on a wall connected to an outside unit that you turn on? There are essentially five different types of cooling systems. These include the central air conditioner, a heat pump, ductless mini splits, an evaporative cooler, and a room or window air conditioning system. Once you know what your cooling system is, you can better evaluate what types of services it needs to work at its best.
The most common system found in homes is a central AC system. Smarterhouse.org mentions, “Central air conditioners and heat pumps are designed to cool the entire house. In each system, a large compressor unit located outside drives the process; an indoor coil filled with refrigerant cools air that is then distributed throughout the house via ducts. Heat pumps are like central air conditioners, except that the cycle can be reversed and used for heating during the winter months. With a central air conditioner, the same duct system is used with a furnace for forced warm-air heating. The central air conditioner typically uses the furnace fan to distribute air to the ducts.”
If there are no ducts in your home, it is likely you’ll use either a ductless mini split or a window unit. These have similar controls and settings. Offering ease of operation, these can be great energy efficient. If you have to choose a new cooling system, we recommend finding the most energy efficient one available.
Possible Air Conditioning Failures
Sadly air conditioners are prone to issues. If you run 24/7 for three months straight for several years, it would be unlikely to avoid some strain. Most newer AC systems don’t experience complete failure. Instead, one or two parts suffer from wear and tear. But what are common failures that need to be addressed with air conditioning repair? Thermostats going out, refrigerant leaks, and dirty coils are the primary things to look out for. These problems can be easily discovered with a tune-up from your local HVAC technician. You can save yourself a ton of headaches and frustrations by recognizing the signs of a failing AC sooner. Hot and cold spots in your home, your AC making strange sounds or smells, and blowing lukewarm are just a few things to keep in mind.
Best Prevention Against Failures
Ok, so now you kind of have an idea of what to look for in terms of AC failure and what could be wrong. But how can you stop these things from happening? After all, a refrigerant leak could cost hundreds of dollars to repair, and this money could be spent on family fun trips and activities. We highly recommend preventative maintenance as your best safeguard against equipment failure. These routine services are done annually and offer many advantages. One of the best is to extend the life of your AC. Replacing an air conditioner can cost thousands, whereas preventative maintenance about $100-$200.
Hire A Professional For Preventative Maintenance
Don’t take chances when it comes to your heating and cooling; always hire a professional. Not only is this better for peace of mind the work was done right, but you’ll also get a comprehensive report of your AC system. During a preventative maintenance visit, a technician will replace the air filter, which is crucial to the flawless operation of your cooling system. A dirty air filter will bog down your cooling system, making it run longer. As you can imagine, this will cost you more money on the energy bill. Additional features of the maintenance visit include lubricating parts, calibrating the thermostat, and checking the functions of the parts.
Make Timely Repairs
A technician will do a thorough analysis, making a note of anything that looks like excess wear
and tear. This could also uncover problems with the system. Before you take a step back and say, but I don’t want anything to be wrong with the AC. It’s actually a good thing to find these things out sooner. You can avoid an unfortunate incident like your AC going out in the middle of the night. This, in turn, can save you from having to call the repair guy for emergency services, which will most likely cost more. Ok, so after you’ve been told that something needs to be repaired, what do you do? The answer is to repair it! Don’t delay or wait for things to get worse. Waiting to fix things typically results in a higher repair bill.
Final Thoughts
Looking to stay out of the blistering sun this summer? Escape to your home and enjoy a comfortable temperature with a fully maintained cooling system! If you’ve not had preventative maintenance done just yet, it’s not too late. Avoid AC breakdowns this summer that could snatch your ‘fun budget’ with a phone call to your local HVAC tech for repairs and a tune-up.
