If your air conditioner is having problems right now late in the season, it could be very tempting to just turn the unit off and deal with it next year in spring. After all, that gives you a good 5-6 months to schedule the appointment. It is so easy to put off air conditioning maintenance, and also so easy to forget about it.
By scheduling AC repair in Fresno right now, you can check one thing off of your list and rest easy knowing that it’s taken care of. Putting it off until spring could mean that you forget about your AC problems only to set your thermostat to cool and find out your air conditioner stopped working completely. Keep reading to learn more about late season AC repairs that we see and why you need to address them now.
Lack of Cooling
If your air conditioner’s cooling capacity has been dwindling slowly over the season, something is wrong with your unit. However, fall is now here and temperatures are cooling down. You won’t need your air conditioner as much so you may be tempted to not worry about the lack of cooling until next year.
It’s easy to think that if your air conditioner has a break over the fall and winter seasons, it will be fine when springtime rolls around again. But that is not usually the case. And in fact, leaving the problem alone for fall and winter could mean that it gets worse and you’ll face a larger repair next year than you would now.
Cycle Changes
And even if you don’t see an impact to your air conditioner’s output, you also want to pay attention to changes in how your air conditioner is operating. For example, it’s a bad sign if your air conditioner begins to turn on and off at frequent intervals. This is called short cycling and it means that something is wrong inside of your air conditioner that is preventing it from completing a cooling cycle all the way through.
On the flip side of that, it’s also bad news if your air conditioner is turning on and staying on. Cooling cycles should happen at regular intervals that are usually between 15 and 20 minutes on and then another 15 to 20 minutes off before the unit turns back on again. It’s not a problem if your air conditioner runs slightly longer or has more time between cycles, but extreme differences mean that something major is wrong inside of the unit.
High Energy Bills
It is equally important to address any changes in energy use. Of course, you have a variety of appliances, lights, and electronics in your home using electricity. But your air conditioner is arguably one of the largest appliances that uses the most energy. As a result, when you see any spike in energy usage, you should check your air conditioner first.
Schedule an appointment with our team for a tune-up and we can find out what is causing the spike in energy use. We often see that small components begin to loosen up over time and cause your air conditioner to work harder to produce the same results. Tightening, lubricating, and sometimes replacing these components can help you to improve efficiency.
Leaks
You also need to pay attention to any leaks toward the end of the season. Leaks can be from your condensate drain line being clogged or from a hole in your refrigerant lines. Refrigerant leaks are more dangerous and definitely need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
However, condensate drain line clogs are equally concerning when you consider that a leak could cause damage to your home, as well as fostering mold and mildew growth. It’s always better to get things like leaks addressed now rather than putting off the service until after winter.
California Indoor Comfort: Where comfort and technology come together. Schedule an appointment today for AC service.