Summer always comes early in Louisiana, and we’re already beginning to feel the effects of elevated temperature. Soon enough, homeowners will be turning off their heaters and turning on their air conditioners. When that moment comes, you don’t want your system to suddenly run into trouble. Now is the time to take steps to address that possibility, so it doesn’t catch you by surprise just when you need your cooling system the most.
Schedule Maintenance
Regardless of the specifics, you should always plan for maintenance sessions every spring before the cooling season really begins. This gives the technician a chance to look for anything out of the ordinary, as well as treating little issues like dirty components and worn fittings that can rob your system of efficiency. It serves two immediate purposes that can help you out a great deal:
- If there’s a serious issue that needs fixing, it lets you spot the problem early and schedule repairs before it causes a breakdown. In most cases, acting proactively also reduces the cost of the repair, since it has less time to damage the system as a whole.
- Maintenance sessions help reduce the monthly cost of running the air conditioner, since the improve efficiency mean it will use less energy when it runs.
Check for Problems
Beyond a maintenance session itself, it behooves the homeowner to run their air conditioner for about 20-30 minutes sometime before cooling season starts and check for any specific problems. A trained technician is required to diagnose the issue and perform repairs, but you probably know enough about your system’s functioning to spot the signs of a problem. They can include:
- Strange noises, which translates into any sound you don’t normally associate with the normal functioning of your air conditioner.
- An unexpected rise in your monthly bills, indicating a component which may be worn or struggling.
- Reduced air flow from one or more vents, which indicates either a blockage somewhere or perhaps a problem with the fan
- Lower levels of cooling, which may mean actively hot air, or might just be air that isn’t as cool as you’ve come to expect.
- Short cycling, which is the rapid turning on and off of the air conditioner. It wastes a great deal of energy and can lead to breakdowns if you aren’t careful.
- An air conditioner that doesn’t turn on at all. The problem is obvious, but in these cases, you should do a little troubleshooting first. Check your thermostat to make sure its settings haven’t changed, then check your breaker box to make sure the switch hasn’t been triggered. Only when you’ve determined that these easily correctable issues aren’t at the heart of the problem should you call in a repair service.
Air conditioners need to be running smoothly by the time summer hits. Hammond, LA is simply too hot and muggy for any other options. For quality maintenance sessions or to schedule a repair session to treat a serious problem, call on the pros at A Professional Heating & Air every time!