No homeowner aspires to be stuck paying for an air conditioning repair, especially in the middle of a hot Texas summer. San Antonio residents want affordable AC without unexpected emergencies. Keeping your AC in good working order and preventing the need for expensive emergency repairs involves just following a few simple tips.
Here’s how to avoid costly AC repairs.
Take Care of Problems as Soon as They Arise
Homeowners often find themselves having to pay for expensive AC repairs because they neglected to address a minor issue that could have been easily resolved. They let it turn into a much bigger problem. If you notice something seems to malfunction with your AC system, such as miscommunication with the thermostat or the system turning on and off randomly, contact a professional HVAC technician sooner rather than later.
Generally, the quicker one of our HVAC technicians addresses the problem, the cheaper of a repair it will be.
Monitor the Outdoor Unit
While you don’t have to watch your outdoor unit like a hawk, as it’s constructed to withstand the elements, there are a few smart tips to follow to keep it in proper working condition. The first is to keep the area clean, remove any debris that might accumulate around the unit. While these units are designed to filter out leaves or gardening refuse to get into the machine and clogging it, sometimes these filters can fail, so it’s ideal to keep the surrounding area as debris-free as possible.
Second, if the machine seems to run hot or noisy, this could be the sign of a clog or other issue and should be addressed as quickly as possible.
Practice Smart Thermostat Management
You don’t want to turn off your AC when you’re not home. Not only can this endanger your pets, plants, and electric devices by letting your home overheat, but it’s costlier to lower temperatures in a very hot house than it is to keep the AC running at a reasonable temperature throughout the day. Ideally, keep your home no warmer than 85 degrees when you’re not home, with 80 degrees being more ideal.
If you find it annoying to manually control your thermostat but your older model’s programmable settings are annoying or confusing, consider investing in a smart thermostat that allows you to control your home’s temperature from your phone. This allows you to turn your AC up or down no matter where you are and monitor that your system is in working order.
Check Around Vents
The vents around your home should be unobstructed, unblocked by furniture, clutter, or debris. Obstructed or dirty vents can lead to your HVAC system malfunctioning, which is why it’s important to keep the areas surrounding them open and clean. While your AC has a filter to block out debris and dust, the less that accumulates, the better.
Check and Change Filters
Unfortunately, many AC repairs result from homeowners who forgot or neglected to regularly inspect and change the filters on their HVAC systems. When filters aren’t changed, your AC needs to work overtime to force cool air through the obstruction, which can cause it to overheat and potentially break down. While it’s a simple task, many homeowners sometimes forget to do it, which is why it’s a good idea to make checking the filter a part of your weekly household chores.
Watch Your Energy Bills
It’s normal for your energy bills to increase a bit after stretches of hot or cold weather, during which your HVAC system had to work a little harder. However, if your energy bills are inexplicably higher, it could be a sign that there’s something wrong with your HVAC system, such as miscommunication with the thermostat that’s causing it to work in overdrive. It’s important to have your heating and cooling system checked out if your energy bills are higher and you can’t think of any reason this could be happening.
Keep an Ear on Your AC
A lot of issues with your AC can be detected by listening. An example of this is short cycling, which is where you hear your AC turning on and off even though you made no changes to the thermostat. Another problem to listen for are any banging or clanging noises when your AC is running.
This can be a sign of an issue with your AC system, such as an issue with a compressor belt, air filter, loose bolts rattling, or air escaping your ductwork.
Make Sure All Windows Are Closed and Weather-stripped
When your windows are open while the AC is running, it makes your system have to work all the harder to keep your house cool. While most people know this, many people will end up cracking a window or two to let some fresh air into their home. Usually assuming a few windows open won’t make that significant of a difference to how a home is cooled.
The fact of the matter is that any open window puts unnecessary stress on your air conditioner. Even the small gaps in unsealed windows can cause a lot of issues for your AC system. Make sure that all windows are closed and weather-stripped to keep the conditioned air indoors.
It’s a common practice for some individuals to turn off their air conditioning units when the outdoor temperature slightly decreases, allowing them to open their windows and enjoy the refreshing breeze. However, it’s advisable to adopt this approach only if the weather forecast predicts that the cooler temperature outside will endure for a duration exceeding a few hours. You want to minimize the number of times you turn your AC on and off.
Schedule Regular Maintenance Visits
Many homeowners avoid booking maintenance appointments with an HVAC technician, as they see it as an unnecessary expense. After all, it seems odd to pay for a technician to come service a system that seems to work just fine. However, these maintenance visits are an ideal opportunity to detect any minor problems and address them while they’re still minor.
This means that you can prevent the minor issues from snowballing into much bigger ones that will cause a far costlier energy bill. Even if it might seem like an unnecessary expense, regular maintenance appointments for your home’s AC can save you a lot of money over the life of your air conditioner.
At Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating, we’re big believers in the importance of these small maintenance measures to prevent the need for those big repairs. We advise homeowners to schedule a maintenance visit at the beginning of the hot summer months, in addition to having your heating system checked out before the start of winter. We also offer services to improve the air quality, heating, ductwork, air sealing and insulation, and smart thermostat services of your home.
Please contact us at Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating today to book a maintenance appointment for your San Antonio home.
