When To Call An AC Repair Company | Fort Worth, TX
There are few certainties in life, but one thing that is certain is that it will be hot in Fort Worth, TX, during the summer months. Some might prefer to call it boiling versus simply hot. Whatever you want to call it, you can count on extremely hot weather and heavy use of your AC system. Of course, with heavy AC use comes a lot of wear and tear, which means at some point, you may have to consider calling an AC repair company to come to your aid.
If you are a first-time homeowner or new to the Fort Worth, TX area, you might not know what AC repair company to call or when to call for help. It is very easy to ignore something like a warning noise from your AC unit, but it is not as easy to ignore your AC if it quits working. The truth is that in Texas, AC is not an amenity, it is a necessity which is why it is so important that you learn when you need help from professional HVAC technicians.
The good news is that it does not have to be a complicated decision. In fact, it can be a simple decision if you have the right team by your side and you read the following guide that looks over good AC maintenance and when to call an AC repair company. As a homeowner, you should have two goals when it comes to your AC: to get help as soon as possible and to take preventative action so that you don’t have to worry about too many emergency AC calls in the middle of the night.
While you cannot always predict when something is going to go wrong with your AC, you can take a few simple actions to ensure that you are not always caught off-guard when it does. Working with an AC repair company for things such as HVAC maintenance once or twice a year is a great way to get familiar with an AC company so that you don’t have to think twice about who to call if something goes wrong. It also means you will be less likely to be afraid to call to get some quick advice, which we hope you do.
A quick call to figure out if something is wrong with your AC is always better than finding out when your AC quits working. Sometimes little things or signs really are just little things, but sometimes they are indications that something larger is brewing. In those situations, you will be glad that you took proactive action. With that in mind, here is a list of the top signs that you need to call an AC repair company in Fort Worth, TX.
Take a minute to read over the list and then commit it to memory. Alternatively, you can just bookmark this page and come back to take a look if you notice something that is alarming you about your AC system. Keep in mind that this list doesn’t cover every time that you need to call an AC repair company, but it does hit some of the big ones. From time to time, things may happen that are not on this list – that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to worry.
You should always trust your gut instinct. If something is bothering you enough that you are searching for help online or returning to this guide, then you should probably call an AC repair company in Fort Worth, TX, and get some real answers. An AC unit is not a cheap purchase, so you should always take the extra step and have something looked at if it appears odd to you.
Chances are, if you are noticing your AC doing something odd, then it probably is. Most homeowners are used to the way that their AC unit normally functions, so if something starts to seem out of place, go ahead and make the call. You will be grateful later when you don’t have to worry about AC kicking off in the middle of summer because you ignored that voice in the back of your head.
With that disclaimer out of the way, take the time to look over the times when you need to call an AC repair company. All of these issues will not resolve on their own and require the skill and expertise of a professional HVAC technician to resolve. Therefore, don’t delay if you see your issue on this list.
It’s Been a While Since Your Last AC Service
One of the top reasons you should be calling a local AC repair company is if you have not yet booked your yearly AC service. If it has been longer than a year, that is no problem because now is always the right time to get back on track. An annual service is a great way to stop bigger problems from cropping up when you least expect them and a great way to identify the overall shape of your AC unit so that you can prepare properly for the future.
In addition, an AC service ensures that your system is free of dust and debris, which means it will run much more efficiently, which will save you money in energy costs over the year. Therefore, it is actually to your advantage to book an AC service from a qualified AC repair company. Improving the indoor air quality within your Fort Worth, TX home while reducing the number of your monthly energy bills is pretty much a win-win situation.
As a bonus, the AC technician will also assess wear and tear on your unit and identify if there are any components that are getting rusty or starting to show signs of aging. This gives you the chance to proactively repair anything that needs to be done. You are not obligated to make any repairs, and if something major is identified, you will have the chance to budget for the repair. This can help take the edge off an aging AC unit, which will happen eventually. The good news is that regular AC servicing can actually help extend the lifespan of your unit, which everyone can agree is also another great bonus of keeping up with annual care.
Odd Noises Are Coming from Your AC Unit
While an AC service can be planned, some phone calls to an AC repair company in Fort Worth, TX cannot. One such occasion is if you start hearing your AC unit make some odd noises. The only noise that your AC unit should ever make is a gentle humming noise as the air slowly pushes out of your vents. Therefore, if you ever hear any other type of noise, this is a good indication that something is seriously wrong with your unit.
Some noises are even more concerning than others. For example, a squealing noise is often an indication that there is a pressure build-up within your AC unit or that something is rusted and pulling on your belt. It can also signify metal rubbing on metal, which means that a component will break very soon. Other noises that are not normal in any circumstance and should also be worrying include banging noises, whistling, clunking, hissing, and mechanical groans. Any of these noises should be immediately looked at by a qualified HVAC technician from a local AC repair company.
Ice on the Evaporator Coils
Another warning sign that something is going wrong with your AC unit is if you notice that ice is starting to form on the evaporator coils of your outdoor unit. Many people forget that their outdoor unit plays a major role in the overall function of their AC, but whether you think about it or not, it does. With this in mind, you should make it a point to look at your outdoor unit from time to time to ensure that there is no debris or animals nesting inside the unit box.
This is actually another great argument to contact an AC repair company for a service call because you wouldn’t believe the things that have been found living inside of an outdoor unit. The goal is to keep that outdoor unit in great shape because if it goes, you will also find yourself looking at buying a replacement unit.
All of that said, the biggest indication that something is wrong with your outdoor unit is the formation of ice on the evaporator coils. Given how hot the Texas summer is, it should come as little surprise that ice amid the hot summer sun is not a great sign. This tends to happen when either the refrigerant is not charged adequately or if the AC unit is low on refrigerant. The humid air of Texas tends to make it worse, so it is important to call an AC repair company right away to get to the root of the problem and correct it.
Decreased Airflow
Chances are, as a homeowner you know how much air flows through your vents on a normal day. Everyone has walked by their vents enough to know what airflow to expect, and on a particularly hot Texas day, you have probably stood over floor vents to cool off. Given all of that, you should also be able to identify when there is decreased airflow from your vents.
There are two major problems with decreased airflow. The first and most significant is a simple fact that decreased airflow means your house will never cool down. If only half the normal amount of air is coming out of your air vents then your AC will have to work twice as hard to cool your home, which will result in high energy bills. It also means that your home will probably never actually reach its usual cool temperature, which can make it uncomfortable to spend time inside.
The second major problem is that usually, this indicates a clogged air filter or a blockage somewhere in your AC unit or your ductwork. If not properly attended to by an AC repair company, this clog or blockage can cause major issues and a lot of wear and tear on your AC unit. With that in mind, if you notice that the air coming out of your air vents is insufficient, it is time to call an AC repair company.
Air Is Warm or Lukewarm
Along the same train of thought, you also probably know how cool the air coming out of your air ducts usually is. This means that if you start to notice the air coming out of your vents is warm or lukewarm, you have a problem. Generally, when the air coming out of AC vents is warm, it signifies that there is either a problem with the refrigerant, thermostat, or compressor. All of these are major components of your AC, so you need to call an AC repair company right away. Plus, so long as lukewarm air is coming out of your vents, you will not be cooling your home, which can get uncomfortable fast.
Odd Smells from Inside of Your Vents
Finally, there are certain smells that you should never notice coming out of your vents. The smell of mold and mildew is one of those things, but there are some more worrisome smells as well. If you smell anything like electrical burning or notice a hint of natural gas coming out of your air vents, you need to call an AC repair company immediately. Both of these are signs of a potentially dangerous situation that needs to be carefully examined. In this situation, you should also probably turn off your AC unit and then call for help from an AC repair company.
If you notice any of these signs, contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth today. We will send an HVAC technician out to your Fort Worth, TX, home at your convenience.