Important Facts About Air Conditioning Service Every Homeowner Should Know | Azle, TX
While homeowners are usually on the alert about scheduling tune-ups their most necessary appliances and equipment require, for some reason, it is easy to forget about their home’s air conditioner. Even though this is possibly one of their most expensive and necessary pieces of equipment, it is often the most forgotten one. For some reason, people tend to ignore their air conditioners, until they break down and the air in their homes becomes uncomfortable to the point of being unbearable. With this in mind, it is important for homeowners to understand the importance of scheduling air conditioning service for their Azle, TX home or business in a regular manner.
One important consideration should be that, while air conditioning service in Azle, TX should be carried out regularly, you should keep in mind that there are certain times of the year in which these actions should ideally be performed. We are referring to spring. Even though we will touch on this subject in a more detailed way further along this article, you should know that performing your annual air conditioning service program in the spring is possibly the best way to have all issues that resulted from the previous year’s wear and tear repaired before the hottest and coldest seasons of the new year creep upon your Azle, TX home.
Because at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth we understand the importance of air conditioning service, as well as the numerous benefits you can reap from scheduling our air conditioning service for your home in Azle, TX we have compiled this list of some of the most important facts about air conditioning service and maintenance that you should know and which will help you to make an informed decision about when you require the service. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
Let’s Talk About Your Air Conditioner’s Life Span
Many homeowners have the erroneous idea that their air conditioner will last forever, but the truth of the matter is quite different. Generally speaking, an air conditioner that is well maintained should have a life span that ranges between 10 and 15 years of continuous use. But you must also be realistic and consider that in order to achieve the higher end of the spectrum, your unit must be serviced and maintained periodically. As with everything, the better you take care of your air conditioner, the longer it will provide warm or cool air to your home and family.
When Should I Have My Unit Serviced?
Most manufacturers and reputable air conditioning service companies will tell you that you should service your HVAC system annually at the very minimum, but it can be done more often if it becomes necessary. This annual air conditioning service program should be more intensive and meticulous than a regular maintenance schedule, which can be carried out every six months or sooner, in order to ensure your filters are clean and the unit is in good working order before the change of seasons. Even so, the need for an annual air conditioning service program can’t be stressed enough, regardless of how many times you changed or cleaned the filters in the previous months. Keep in mind that scheduling your HVAC system’s service in advance will allow you to have plenty of time to budget accordingly, maximizing your investment and increasing the life span and safe operation of your home’s HVAC system.
What About Maintenance?
As we mentioned above, an annual air conditioning service program is an absolute necessity in order to keep your HVAC system working at its highest level of efficiency. But we also mentioned regular maintenance. So, when should you schedule your annual air conditioning service and when can you carry out your periodic maintenance program?
A good rule of thumb to consider when answering this question is that your annual HVAC servicing should be scheduled for the spring of each year. As soon as winter is over and you are ready to switch your HVAC system from heating to cooling, you should have your unit inspected and serviced. This will help you correct any issues that may have started to form during the cold winter months. Additionally, because spring is also the slowest time of the year, you can take advantage of special pricing, discounts, and promotions.
As for maintenance, this should be scheduled during the fall, before the weather starts getting colder in Azle, TX, to ensure your furnace is ready to start operating without any issues that may have formed during the summer. We do have to differentiate between servicing and maintenance, because an air conditioning service program is more thorough and complete than a maintenance schedule, which only focuses on cleaning or changing the filters and ensuring there is no debris or dirt that could interfere with the switch from cool to warm air.
But, What About Getting the Job Done in Winter?
It may be tempting to wait until winter to have your HVAC system serviced, but there are a couple of problems with that. For starters, the winter months are quite busy, so you may have to wait until the weather gets even colder before your unit can be serviced. Additionally, both your furnace and air conditioner use oil to help them increase or decrease the temperature of the air that flows into your home. This oil is affected by cold temperatures and can be the cause for a misdiagnosis or damage to your unit due to it not working as desired because of clogged filters, leading to costly repairs.
In the Pacific Northwest, winter is not the best time for AC repairs. In fact, we don’t recommend running your air conditioner during the winter months at all. That’s because there’s oil in your AC unit and it may not work properly in cold temperatures. Because of this and other factors, the ideal time for air conditioning service is, as mentioned, during the spring, and maintenance in the fall when the weather is more or less stable and not too hot or too cold to ensure the job is done correctly.
Ok, So What About Doing It During the Summer?
The answer is the same as for winter: a firm NO. The premise is exactly the same. Air conditioning service companies are usually completely booked during the summer, and the weather may be too hot to perform a good diagnosis of your system. So, even though many homeowners still think that summer and winter are ideal times for servicing and maintaining their HVAC systems, the truth is completely different.
Is It Expensive?
Considering all the factors that could influence the final diagnosis of a good air conditioning service program, calculating the cost is almost impossible to do outright. How expensive it will be depends on the type of HVAC system you have installed in your home, what repairs are required, the age of your system, and whether any discounts or promotions are available.
At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth we will be happy to provide a quote for air conditioning service or maintenance tailored to your specific needs and requirements, so don’t hesitate to give us a call to get started!
Will the Job Take Long?
As with pricing, it can be difficult to determine offhand how long your air conditioner service appointment will take, but you can generally count on it taking anywhere between one and two hours. Even so, it really does depend on a few different things, including the type of HVAC system installed in your home and any problems that require repairs. In order for you to be able to free up your schedule for your service or maintenance work more accurately, talk to your HVAC service tech about it.
I Need a New Air Conditioner, When Should I Purchase It?
The answer to this question is relatively simple. If you are looking into buying a new HVAC unit, your best bet is to buy it at any time during the year, except for the summer months. If you are wondering why, we can tell you that air conditioners are always more expensive during the hot season, and buying a new unit at any other time will allow you to save a nice chunk of change by taking advantage of discounts and other promotions.
So, When Should I Have It Installed?
Ok, so, now you know that buying a new air conditioner outside of the hot summer months can save you money, but its installation is a whole different issue. At the beginning of this article you learned that HVAC service companies are usually the busiest during the summer and winter. This means that you should install your new HVAC system either in the spring or the fall, with your best bet being during the spring, because you can take advantage of special promotions that will save you even more money.
Great! Now I Want to Know What Service Includes
A good AC service program involves a number of activities targeted at ensuring your system is in good working order for the days you will need it the most, whether during the summer, the winter, or both. It is necessary for you to be aware that during the previous year, the components of your air conditioning system accumulated dust, dirt and debris that were transported by the outside air that your system then sent into your home.
This accumulation on essential components can cause a wide range of problems that could result in your system working less efficiently and even malfunctioning, so a good air conditioning service program will focus primarily at getting everything clean again in order to enhance the productivity of your HVAC system. Here is a list of actions you can expect during your annual AC service appointment.
- Cleaning or changing dirty or clogged air filters – As your HVAC system operates, a lot of dust and dirt can accumulate on the system’s filters. If this accumulation is left to fester, it can be the main reason you start noticing ice forming on other components, and a slower flow of air. During your service appointment, the tech will clean or replace the filters. They will also wash the fins of the condenser to remove any mold formation and any other forms of unwanted build-up.
- Thorough cleaning of the evaporator coil and the condenser – when the accumulation of dust on these components reaches a critical level, it can cause your system to overheat and malfunction. During your service visit, the tech will make sure to clean these and other important components of your system in order to improve the efficiency of your HVAC unit.
- Leak detection and repair – sometimes it can happen that your HVAC system develops leaks. During your service visit, the tech will carefully search for any active leaks and other areas that could represent a potential risk for leaks in the near future. The tech will carefully repair any problems of this nature and will also check the level of refrigerant and other features of your home’s HVAC system.
- Thorough inspection – the most important reason for having your HVAC system serviced once a year is precisely to prevent any problems from appearing when you least expect them. So, once the previous activities have been performed, the tech will thoroughly inspect your entire system to determine whether everything is in good working order and you won’t have any problems during the upcoming hot and cold seasons.
Call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth for Expert Service!
When it comes to keeping your family safe, healthy and comfortable, nothing can work better for you than scheduling regular air conditioning service to ensure your Azle, TX home’s HVAC system is functioning efficiently and correctly. At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth we proudly provide the industry’s foremost professional air conditioning service to the residents of Azle, TX, so don’t hesitate to give us a call today to schedule an appointment to have your system checked!