How Can Air Conditioning Service Help Me? | Fort Worth, TX

How Can Air Conditioning Service Help Me? | Fort Worth, TX

Air conditioning service can be a necessity in some cases. Most of us here in Fort Worth, TX, want to be comfortable and look forward to a cool, and much less humid, environment inside our homes. However, people with respiratory issues and some other health conditions depend on air conditioning because it can be very hard to breathe when temperatures and humidity levels soar. It’s important to make sure cooling systems are in good shape and ready to go before the hot summer months.

Regular Maintenance and Repairs

Regularly scheduled air conditioning service visits have several advantages, such as increased energy efficiency. Homeowners can build working relationships with technicians and enjoy some peace of mind knowing the air conditioning is in good shape. No one wants to abruptly lose air conditioning during the hottest part of the year.

Unfortunately, AC units are more likely to break down when they’re most needed because high temperatures and humidity put a lot of strain on the unit. Any components that may be wearing out or close to malfunction are more likely to fail when the unit is forced to work harder. Air conditioning service professionals inspect your AC for any potential issues and handle most routine tasks, such as changing air filters. Most households can change filters every 60 to 90 days. People with hobbies that create dust and particulate matter or households with a lot of pets may need to change filters every 30 to 45 days.

Humidity in Fort Worth, TX, can be miserable. Everything feels sticky and it can be hard to sleep. Constant moisture can also contribute to mold and mildew growth as well as stale, musty odors. Water evaporates very slowly when the air is already saturated, so a spilled drink or upset water bowl won’t just dry up. The moisture may remain in the carpet or on furniture long enough to encourage mold.

Moisture may become a problem in the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room as well. All the steam and condensation in the bathroom after a shower should dry up fairly quickly, but this isn’t the case in humid conditions. Moisture may hang around for a while and leave walls, cupboards, rugs, and any other absorbent surface may feel damp long after your shower is over. The same problem may occur in the kitchen after cooking or doing dishes and in the laundry room after washing a load of clothes. Many households rely on air conditioners to relieve humidity, and this is usually an effective strategy. However, inefficient performance or short cycling operation significantly reduces the amount of moisture removed from the air. Let air conditioning service professionals help you maintain your AC so you don’t have to worry about repairs or unrelieved humidity.

New Odors

You shouldn’t notice any sort of odor coming from an air conditioner. Unusual smells can help identify problems.

Burning

A burning smell is alarming. If the AC hasn’t been used for a while, burning odors may come from built-up dust. This should resolve itself if the dust is cleared quickly, but keep an eye on the unit until the odor disappears. Overheated components within the AC unit are another possibility. A fan inside the AC unit forces air out and facilitates air circulation. Fan motors may overheat due to broken or degraded bearings.

Other possibilities are more alarming. There may be a fire somewhere in the house and the AC is transporting the air, and the smell, everywhere. Visible smoke and a strong burning smell or a hint of ozone are signs of an electrical fire involving wiring or various components within the AC unit itself. Don’t try to put out the fire with water. That will just make it worse. Instead, unplug the unit and get everyone, including pets, out of the house. Call the fire department then contact your air conditioning service provider. You may need to call the emergency number if the incident occurs on a weeknight.

Musty and Unpleasant

Sometimes mold can grow inside an AC unit. One of the first signs of mold is an unpleasant odor coming from AC vents. Call an air conditioning service provider to inspect and address your HVAC system if you suspect mold is growing somewhere. Mold colonies in vents or ducts are especially problematic because forced air coming out of the vents may carry mold spores along with it. This can spread mold all over the house.

Mold can aggravate allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, coughing, sore throat, headache, eye irritation, earaches, and a runny nose with post-nasal drip. People with chronic illnesses or compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to mold exposure. An air conditioning service provider may clean up mold within the AC and ducts, but this really depends on the scope of mold growth. You may need professional cleaners to eradicate mold in heavily colonized vents as well as carpet, furniture, or curtains. Mold inside walls and other structures is also very hard to remove, and sometimes replacement is the only option.

Weak Airflow

When the air conditioner in your home is actively generating cold air, as opposed to idling, you should feel a powerful rush of cool air coming from the vents. Weak or inconsistent airflow is very unlikely to cool your home efficiently. The AC unit has to work harder to achieve expected results, and the increased energy use may show up on utility bills. Call an air conditioning service provider in Fort Worth, TX, to find the reason for restricted airflow and fix the problem.

Dirty or Damaged Air Ducts

Air ducts are easy to overlook because we usually don’t see them. They run underneath floorboards, inside ceilings, or behind walls. However, this means that visible damage is hidden too. Broken, cracked, or leaky ducts let cold air escape before it reaches vents. This results in decreased airflow and wastes a lot of energy.

Debris inside air ducts can also restrict airflow and lower indoor air quality. All sorts of things can build up inside vents in Fort Worth, TX such as dust, pollen, pet hair and dander, and even lint. Unfortunately, air traveling through ducts can pick up small amounts of debris and spread it all over the house, which turns it into a cycle. Airborne debris may contribute to allergies, sinus infections, or sore throat. It isn’t easy for most people to clean vents, so this chore may be forgotten or postponed quite frequently. Air conditioning service technicians can clean ducts and vents so accumulated debris is properly disposed of instead of wafting through the house.

A broken or worn-out blower is another cause of poor airflow. It undermines the cooling system because most of the cool air never makes it to vents. An air conditioning service technician can examine the blower and decide whether it should be fixed or replaced. An air conditioning system lowers temperatures by removing heat from the air. Evaporator coils absorb heat from the surrounding air, which is then forced out through vents at a much cooler temperature. These coils are frequently covered in moisture produced by condensation. If this water freezes, the coils can’t function. Although Fort Worth, TX homeowners may be able to thaw coils themselves, that won’t solve the problem. An air conditioning service technician can figure out why coils are frozen and determine if excessive moisture is present. If evaporator coils are thawed without addressing the underlying cause, the coils will just freeze again.

Air Quality

Many air conditioning repair service providers, such as One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating in Fort Worth, also offer indoor air quality testing. Certified technicians use the test to measure airborne pollutants in the house. Tests for specific rooms can help pin down where contaminants are coming from. The next step is a plan to remove pollutants from the air and improve air quality. Air conditioning service technicians keep AC units in good shape and install other appliances, such as air cleaners or purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers.

Warm Air

Warm air coming out of the vents is a rather obvious sign that something isn’t right. Make sure your HVAC system is set on cooling mode. Sometimes the problem is just an incorrect thermostat setting. The fan should be set on automatic. A fan set on the ‘on’ option will keep running while the unit cycles and push warm air out of the vents. You should also check the temperature inside your Fort Worth, TX home, just to cover all the bases. If the temperature inside is lower than the thermostat setting, the AC won’t generate cool air.

If you’ve checked settings and temperatures without finding a problem, it’s time to contact air conditioning service professionals. The AC is obviously not keeping the house cool if the unit blows warm air, and the underlying problem could get worse without immediate attention. Refrigerant leaks can also result in warm air because air conditioners need refrigerant to produce cold air. The AC unit can still run without refrigerant, but it’s just moving warm air around.

Refrigerant

You shouldn’t see moisture or liquid around your air conditioner. Damp walls or floors, or water on the outside of the unit, may be warning signs. Condensate lines are supposed to drain condensation away from the AC unit, but these lines can become disconnected, clogged, or broken. Liquid will build up if it doesn’t have an outlet. In addition to annoying dampness, stagnant water can turn into a breeding ground for bacteria and insects.

Pooled or leaking fluid can also come from a refrigerant leak. Air conditioning service technicians can usually refill refrigerant if the unit was made after 2010. They may not be able to refill refrigerant in older systems if the refrigerant is R-22, which is a very toxic chemical and a threat to the ozone layer. The decision to refill refrigerant or not isn’t up to air conditioning service providers. Production of R-22 has been banned since 2020, so it’s simply not possible to refill units that require R-22. Unfortunately, the only option, in that case, is replacing the air conditioning unit.

Unusual Noise

A properly functioning air conditioner is fairly quiet. The unit may produce humming or soft clicking sounds. Unusual sounds frequently indicate a problem. Broken parts or worn out indoor and outdoor fans can make banging sounds. Hissing sounds may come from refrigerant leaks. High-pitched squealing or whining noises may come from high pressure inside the AC unit. If you hear these sounds, turn off the unit and call an air conditioning service provider right away.

Warranties

Manufacturers frequently include caveats in their warranties. Most of them exclude coverage and void the warranty if customers try DIY repairs. This means the manufacturer won’t pay for replacement or repair. Other specifications concerning use and repairs may be included somewhere in the warranty as well. Let air conditioning service professionals worry about specifics. They have the experience and expertise to understand and comply with manufacturer instructions or limitations.

Repair or Replace

Air conditioning service technicians in Fort Worth, TX, are very good at their profession, but all appliances and devices wear out eventually. The average functional lifetime of an AC unit is approximately 15 years. It’s unlikely that units older than this are still operating effectively and efficiently, although there are always exceptions. Even if an AC can hang on for another year, replacing the unit may still be the best course of action. Newer AC models are more energy-efficient and offer more settings and functions to manage interior comfort. Some new AC units can even be integrated into a smart home. You can control a smart AC from a laptop, smartphone, or other personal device whether you’re at home or not.

One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth provides air conditioning service and many other HVAC services for homes and businesses. Call or visit the website to set up a consultation or appointment. A licensed and insured team of professionals is always ready to handle any HVAC issue from maintenance and simple repairs to new installations. Emergency services are also available for issues that require immediate action.

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