In our climate, air conditioning isn’t a luxury. It can be necessary for your health and well-being, especially if your family includes anyone very young, elderly, or with certain health conditions. When that heat first hits, you need your air conditioner to be ready to keep up with it.
But what if your AC is just not getting the job done, or is having problems? Then it’s vital to get that air conditioner the help it needs. This will prevent the situation from getting bad enough that the AC breaks entirely, leaving you sweating and suffering while you wait for repairs.
What should you do if your air conditioner is struggling already, when summer’s barely started? We’ve got some helpful tips.
Annual Maintenance
If you haven’t gotten professional maintenance done yet this year, this needs to be at the top of your to-do list. If your air conditioner is not performing as well as it should, is running too much of the time and driving up your electric bill, or is coughing out clouds of dust or a hot dusty smell, maintenance might be all you need to get things back the way they should be.
Air Filter Changes
Your technician will change the air filter during your maintenance appointment, but after that, it’s your job to swap it out for a new one. Do this every month during the hottest part of the year, and every few months when you use your AC much less. A clean air filter promotes airflow and makes it easier for the system to keep your home cool.
Outdoor Unit Upkeep
The outdoor unit of your air conditioner is exposed to all kinds of weather and messes. It’s easy for dirt, lawn clippings, leaf litter, overgrown plants and more to end up all over the unit. This makes it harder for the refrigerant in the condenser coils to release the heat it absorbed from your home, so the system won’t work as well. Keep plants trimmed, debris raked away, and give the AC cabinet a wash with a gentle hose.
Prompt Repair
If you do need repairs, have it done as soon as you realize something’s wrong. Allowing a problem to continue will lead to inefficiency, bigger problems, and a shorter lifespan for the air conditioner. How will you know that you need repairs?
- Noises: Anything other than the usual whir of the fan and hum of the compressor means something’s not right. Rattle, boom, buzz, click, whistle, bubble, hiss? A qualified technician should check on your air conditioner.
- Smells: Hot dust, melting plastic, mildew, vinegar, fish … any odor coming from your air conditioner is a bad sign. At best, you’ve got mold or bacteria growing somewhere in there. At worst, there’s a serious electrical problem or fire hazard. Don’t ignore the odor! Get air conditioning repair in Mansfield, LA right away.
- Short Cycling: If the unit turns on and off more than a handful of times per hour, something is causing it to shut down prematurely. Not only does this indicate that something’s already wrong, the short cycling itself can cause more problems.
- Insufficient or Uneven Cooling: A wide variety of issues can lead to the air conditioner not producing enough cold air or not distributing it evenly. You deserve to be comfortable!
Contact us today to discuss your air conditioner’s maintenance or repair needs.