Air Conditioning Service And Installation Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them) | Irving, TX
Serving and installing air conditioning systems requires specialized knowledge. Poor air conditioning service and installation can detract from your unit’s optimum functionality and reduce the comfort of your home. Knowing some commonplace installation and AC service mistakes can help as well as how to avoid them can save you expensive repair costs and headaches. How can you best avoid these mistakes? Spoiler alert: by relying on the HVAC leader in Irving, TX. One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas has an excellent reputation for high-quality service, fair pricing, and friendly customer service. Our technicians know how to avoid the following installation and air conditioning service mistakes.
Installing the Wrong Size AC Unit
One of the worst installation mistakes that people make is installing the wrong-sized model to cool their home. This is a costly mistake that is, thankfully, easily avoidable when you choose One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas to install your new AC system. If your technician installs a unit that is too small to cool your house, plan on routine air conditioning service calls. The extra strain put on a small unit will cause undue wear and tear. Parts will wear out more quickly, leading to breakdowns and expensive repairs. An air conditioning unit that is also associated with reduced longevity; it’s going to wear out more quickly than the right size unit.
Additionally, a unit that is too large is no good for a pocketbook either. A large unit will necessarily use more power to operate. However, the square footage of your house doesn’t require that excess energy. Even so, the unit will draw it and you’ll have to pay for it each month when your energy bill arrives. By installing an appropriately sized AC system for your house, you can avoid these costly problems.
When you consult with One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas, our air conditioning service technicians will measure your home’s square footage to ensure that we help you select a unit that is the ideal size for cooling your house.
Not Changing the Air Filter
One of the worst mistakes you can make is not changing the air filter. No air conditioning service pro should ever forget to recommend a filter change if the current one is dirty. A dirty or clogged air filter can lead to a wide range of AC malfunctions that are perfectly avoidable when the filter is replaced periodically.
When you contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas for our inspection, maintenance, and air conditioning service, we’ll always inspect the air filter. Some of the most common consequences of a dirty air filter are:
- Evaporator coils ice up
- Higher energy bills
- Inadequate cooling of your home
- Reduced air quality
- Tendency for motor to overheat
Don’t overlook the task of changing the air filter. As such a seemingly small and inexpensive task, many people forget just how crucial the filter is to their AC unit’s operation.
Installing the Thermostat in a Poor Area
Your thermostat communicates temperature with your air conditioning system. When you set it for a certain temperature, your unit will operate to meet that temperature setting. If your thermostat is installed in a poor area for determining temperature, it’s going to communicate inaccurate information to your AC system. When the thermostat is located in a bad spot in your home, the AC unit winds up working harder. That causes more wear and tear on the unit, which can lead to an increase in air conditioning repair calls. Your unit’s hard work also causes energy bills to increase.
One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas technicians know where to install thermostats for optimum functionality. The right placement allows your thermostat to regulate temperature with accuracy. Also, remember not to place appliances or electronics near your thermostat. These features can generate heat that will throw off your thermostat’s accuracy.
Placing the Condenser in the Wrong Area
Ideally, condensers should be installed where there’s plenty of shade. You might not have much tree cover at your Irving, TX, home but other protections might be available to reduce the amount of sun that beats down on the unit. The hotter your unit gets, the harder it has to work. Hard-working AC systems can experience a greater degree of wear and tear that requires more air conditioning service calls.
Simply by installing the condenser in a more advantageous spot with some shade, you can reduce the hard work that your unit has to perform to cool your home. Remember, reducing its work can also reduce your energy costs.
Also, condenser placement is an important consideration in terms of airflow. Without proper airflow, your AC unit can’t draw in enough air to cool for your home. Be sure that your unit is situated with plenty of clearance from obstacles that could impede the flow of air.
Adding Too Much Refrigerant
Your air conditioning system needs refrigerant to cool your house–but too much or too little is not good. Experienced HVAC pros shouldn’t make refrigerant mistakes. Certified air conditioning service technicians don’t typically make this type of mistake; they’re well aware of the damage that too much refrigerant can do to a system.
If too much refrigerant is added to the AC unit, it can inflict damage to the compressor, causing subcooling to occur, which can cause significant damage to mechanical parts. More simply put, that means your AC unit won’t work and you’ll have to pay some hefty repair costs that could have been avoided with proper refrigerant handling.
Forgetting to Inspect and Clean Fins and Coils
When inspecting your AC unit, your air conditioning service technician should always check its fins and coils. These components are subject to dirt buildup, which can detract from their functionality and prevent your AC system from functioning efficiently. Also, the fins of the unit can be bumped and knocked out of place. It’s important to inspect them and bend them back into place when needed. These types of air conditioning service tasks may seem less important than others, they should not be forgotten because they are important to your AC system’s efficient operation.
Failing to Catch Leaks
Air conditioning systems can develop leaks as they age. This is a common problem, but also a serious problem that can detract greatly from your unit’s ability to cool your home and function properly. A common leak problem for air conditioning systems occurs in the ducts. Even pinhole-sized leaks can allow cool air to escape. With less cool air making its way to your living space, your thermostat will tell your AC unit to “keep working” in order to maintain the correct degree of coolness.
This causes your AC system to work harder than it ordinarily would. Overtaxing your unit can cause parts to wear out more quickly or can also cause overheating. The extra work your unit performs requires extra energy too. That leads to an increase in your already-high summer energy bills.
Refrigerant leaks are extremely problematic for AC systems and require an air conditioning service call. If you have a refrigerant leak at your home, it should be repaired quickly. One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas can send a skilled tech to your home to find the leak and repair it.
A refrigerant leak is an environmental concern; you definitely don’t want toxic refrigerant to leak inside or near your house. Additionally, when refrigerant leaks, your unit will not have an adequate supply, of which it needs to cool air. Often, Irving, TX, homeowners only realize that there may be a refrigerant problem when they start to feel warm or sticky inside of their houses even though the AC unit is running. If you hear a hissing noise coming from your unit, that’s another sign that refrigerant is probably leaking.
Common Mistakes That Irving, TX, Homeowners Make
While some, often inexperienced, service technicians can make installation and air conditioning service mistakes, homeowners often make some too that can be avoided. We’d like to point out a few to help customers avoid AC pitfalls.
Taking the DIY Approach to Air Conditioning Service
In the interest of saving money, many Irving, TX, property owners might opt to service their own AC unit. The technicians of One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas have seen the best DIY intentions go awry. Although many customers are able to change their AC unit’s air filter, they are not certified to handle refrigerants–and so they shouldn’t. Tackling your own AC repairs can wind up costing you more if you accidentally damage your system or make the wrong repair. One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas offers affordable air conditioning service rates. No, our services aren’t free, but they are always delivered by certified HVAC pros who won’t damage your unit and will make the appropriate fix for your air conditioning system needs.
Hiring an Unqualified Service Provider
Hiring a general handyman or a contractor who claims to have HVAC experience is not the same as hiring a certified air conditioning service technician. Your air conditioning system is a major asset of your home. Entrusting its care and repair to an unqualified operator leaves the system vulnerable to damage and can force you to pay additional costs to get the unit back into top functioning condition. Be careful about who you hire to repair your AC system. Be skeptical of repair costs that seem too good to be true.
One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas has a reputation for our highly trained and certified HVAC technicians. Our techs can work on any make or model AC unit. When providing air conditioning service, our technicians will provide you with a transparent reporting of your unit’s condition and any problems it might be suffering from. We don’t try to upsell customers into upgrading their AC units and we only recommend air conditioning service repairs that your unit actually needs. Our integrity and know-how have made us a regional HVAC service leader.
Skipping Annual Inspections and Tune-Ups
Summertime has a way of sneaking up on residents of Irving, TX. Many are forced to turn on their air conditioning systems before they’ve gotten around to having them inspected and tuned up. Then, once the unit is turned on and appears to be functioning normally, they may dispense with the inspection altogether. This is a mistake.
Annual AC inspections and tune-ups are a cost-effective way to maintain your unit. Just because your AC system is operating, doesn’t mean its functioning as well as it should be. During our inspections and tune-ups of your AC system, we’ll look for common signs of wear and tear. As your AC system ages, parts will wear out. If they wear out before you’ve had the opportunity to replace them, they can cause a breakdown and actually cause other damage to your system.
By contacting One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas before the hot season starts, you can rely on our air conditioning service pros to inspect your unit and find those parts that are close to wearing out. We can replace them and prevent a breakdown from occurring when you least want it to, like during your 4th of July celebration or summer birthday party.
Also, our technicians will lubricate the moving parts of your system so they operate more efficiently. By cleaning your unit, checking refrigerant levels, and making essential adjustments, our techs will help you keep your AC system in excellent working order.
When you need reliable air conditioning service in Irving, TX, be sure to call One Hour Air Conditioning & Repair of Dallas. In addition to our inspection, maintenance, and repair services, we also provide AC installation and replacement solutions. Call us to learn more about all of our HVAC services.