Factors Affecting The Frequency Of Emergency Heating And AC Repair | Richardson, TX
Richardson, TX, a city in its own right and a suburb of Dallas, TX, is a highly sought-after neighborhood, with a population that has increased by more than 26% since 2010. Dallas, overall, is the 9th most populous city in the U.S. and also one of the largest in the state. Like most places, the city has a subtropical climate and is prone to extreme weather, particularly heat waves during July and August. However, any time between late May and mid-September can see the hottest temperatures. In comparison, the cool season lasts for just three months between the end of November and February.
This highlights the significance of needing proper emergency heating and AC repair services in the city, as residents of a home without a functioning HVAC unit may struggle to remain comfortable, especially during the warmest months. Not installing and maintaining your Richardson, TX home’s HVAC system correctly will lead to an increased frequency of emergency heating and AC repair services needed. A multitude of factors can affect the likelihood of a potential breakdown, including:
Inadequate Installation
Your air conditioner could have been incorrectly installed, if it has stopped cooling after you’ve recently had a new unit placed in your home. You might also find that the unit itself is either too small or too large to effectively cool your property. An incorrectly sized unit, even if correctly installed, can cause issues soon after placement. This is because larger units that power cycle more frequently, or small units that need to work harder to effectively cool, will burn through components much faster, resulting in emergency heating and AC repair callouts much sooner than desired.
Ill-maintained Condenser
It can be easy to forget about some essential components, such as the condenser, when they are located outside the home. However, to prevent unnecessary emergency heating and AC repair, you need to take care of your outside condenser. This is one of the most important aspects of AC maintenance. As an AC owner, it is important to maintain the condenser area. To ensure your AC’s efficiency, keep weeds away from the condenser and ensure that it always has good airflow. There is likely to be debris that falls from trees near your condenser, or other unwanted material making its way in and clogging up the unit if left unchecked. This could cause your AC unit to stop cooling at inopportune moments.
Inadequate Airflow
With inadequate airflow, you’ll find that your vents are not letting through enough air. If airflow is restricted, it doesn’t matter how cold your air conditioner can make the air that cycles through the unit; you’ll never feel cooler because there’s not enough cool air making its way into the room.
Inadequate airflow can be caused by dirty filters and other factors. If a filter inspection reveals the component is dirty, cleaning or replacing it might assist. If even after cleaning, you aren’t seeing the results you expect, it could be time to call a professional technician to provide a more thorough assessment of your HVAC system. If you can’t wait for typical business hours, an emergency heating and AC repair technician can assist you outside of normal operating hours and over public holidays.
Thermostat Problem
Thermostat issues are common, but they can also be difficult to identify. Internal malfunctions often present in the form of a blank display, which means there’s very little that you can do as a homeowner to check which part of the device has faulted. It could be as simple as a dead battery or as complex as a circuit malfunction. If replacing the battery doesn’t solve the problem, booking an emergency heating and AC repair service may be preferable.
Thermostat problems can occur at any time and often go unnoticed unless the thermostat stops working completely. Often, especially if the AC unit is dealing with multiple zones, it can be difficult to determine where the issue resides. A licensed, professional HVAC contractor should inspect the thermostat and be able to advise if a circuit needs replacing or if a new thermostat is required.
Low Refrigerant
A low level of refrigerant is the most common reason your air conditioner has stopped cooling. An air conditioner must have refrigerants in order to produce cold air. However, the level of refrigerant is not something the average homeowner can determine. A professional HVAC company can inspect the level of refrigerant inside your unit, dispose of refrigerant correctly, and add the necessary amount of correct refrigerant. An emergency heating and AC repair service can promptly isolate and fix any leaks that may be occurring inside the unit.
Electrical Issues
While you might typically associate emergency heating and AC repair services with leaks and broken components, electrical issues can commonly cause HVAC failures. If the breaker trips but doesn’t fall into the off position, this could cause your air conditioner to stop cooling. Individual breakers may be attributed to the HVAC, AC, condenser, and compressor unit. Flipping them on and off may resolve an immediate issue. If not, an emergency heating and AC repair service can identify where along the route the electrical issue is happening, and replace necessary circuits causing the fault.
Frozen Air Filters
Air filters, evaporator coils, and other components can freeze if there’s a sudden cold snap and the area isn’t adequately protected. With the unpredictability of today’s weather, it’s not uncommon that AC can suffer from the rapid changes in temperature. Air conditioners with frozen refrigerant, for example, stop cooled air from entering your Richardson, TX home, resulting in inefficient cooling while the AC is running. In addition, frozen components will do nothing to help humidity.
Call out a heating and repair technician to help you to determine if your HVAC is adequately protected from the elements. This can help you to avoid unexpected emergency heating and AC repair.
How can you improve the time between emergency heating and AC repair services?
Regular servicing is essential to extend the life of your AC, maintain its efficiency, and avoid costly repairs or replacements. How regular are we talking about? What frequency should a professional HVAC company inspect your AC unit to help prevent emergency heating and AC repair? Answer: At a minimum, once a year.
If you’re looking to book a tune-up or maintenance, it is best to have your AC unit serviced in spring, just before the warm weather starts. This will ensure that your unit is ready to cool your home during the hottest summer months in Richardson, TX, where the average high temperature is 95F.
Although it is a costly investment to get a new AC system, most units will last less than ten years. At some stage, it will become more cost-effective to replace the unit than it is to keep paying for emergency heating and AC repair services.
An AC unit should be efficient in terms of energy consumption and keep your home at the ideal temperature. Your air conditioner should also be capable of reducing humidity in your Texan house. Humidity can cause discomfort during summer heat and reduce comfort. Effective, energy efficient AC also lowers the temperature to allow people to sleep comfortably and enjoy home activities during the warmest days of the year.
However, it is possible for your AC to stop working well enough to keep you and your family comfortable in the summer heat, even with regular maintenance. Some key signs that you should replace your current air conditioner with a new unit are below.
Your AC unit is approaching the end of its lifespan.
A standard air conditioner system lasts between 10 and 15 years. When you are looking to decide whether it’s time to replace your AC or keep paying for emergency heating and AC repair, the lifespan of your unit is one of the most important factors. You should typically replace your system if it is older than 10 years and is falling into disrepair often.
The cooling and heating costs for your unit represent approximately 44% of your utility bills. If your AC unit is costing you more to run, it may not be working at its full efficiency.
Older units are more likely to use R-22, an obsolete refrigerant. This refrigerant will be phased out over the next few years in order to comply with new environmental safety regulations. It is more costly to replace R-22 refrigerant in an old air conditioner unit than refrigerant in a modern unit that conforms to new regulations. As the R-22 refrigerant has been discontinued, this refrigerant is difficult to find on the market, and therefore more expensive.
All new air conditioner units are made to meet new environmental regulations. They are also more efficient in terms of energy consumption. They are not only more efficient in how they use the refrigerant, but they also emit less carbon dioxide than their predecessors.
There is excessive dust and noise.
This could be a sign that your ductwork is leaking. These leaks can cause your air conditioner to lose efficiency, which will increase your operating costs. Your duct system may not be large enough to cover the square footage of your Richardson, TXhome if your unit is loud. Your indoor coil could also be a problem. You can get these issues fixed immediately during emergency heating and AC repair.
You notice inconsistent cooling and high humidity.
Excessive humidity can make your Richardson, TX house more uncomfortable, and an air conditioner should be able to remove it. An air conditioner unit that works properly will keep your home at a constant temperature, prevent high humidity inside the home, and ensure overall comfort, regardless of outside temperature.
If your HVAC system is unable to perform these tasks correctly and you experience inconsistent home cooling and high humidity, it could be because your equipment is malfunctioning or the ductwork is damaged. It is important to consider the cost of fixing these issues pronto and decide if the air conditioner unit is worth emergency heating and AC repair.
You can be worried about the cost of replacing your HVAC system. True, it is an expensive purchase, but it is also an excellent investment in your home. You can eliminate ongoing repair costs by buying a new AC unit. An energy-efficient, newer air conditioner can help you increase your home’s resale price too!
Should you service your own AC?
You don’t need to hire a professional for some basic maintenance tasks, but ultimately, no, an air conditioner should be professionally serviced. The good news is that you can do a few things yourself to help you save money on emergency heating and AC repair costs.
For example, changing the air filter is an important part of maintaining clean air and minimizing air conditioner output issues. It is also very simple. You just need to locate the filter slot on your air conditioner, and then replace the old filter with a newer one. For detailed instructions on how to replace your air filter, you can refer to its instruction manual. The minimum frequency of air filter replacement is every six months. If you live in an area with a lot of dust or pets, it may be needed more frequently.
You can also ensure that your air conditioner is clean. Make sure to clean out any vents. Also, make sure that the outside unit is clear of leaves and twigs. A little TLC and some cleaning can go a long way towards preventing regular emergency heating and AC repair servicing.
When to Call the Professionals?
You might hear a strange sound coming from your AC when you turn it on. It might not be blowing cool air, or switching on and off repeatedly. It is always best to get professional help in these situations. Without the help of an expert, you could be tempted to spend thousands on an air conditioner replacement just because you overlooked something that only a trained HVAC technician would know about.
At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, it’s possible to book emergency heating and AC repair in Richardson, TX at any time of day. Whenever you need it, a trained technician can thoroughly inspect your air conditioner, including all internal and external components. Book an inspection now to find out more about the health of your system and how to prolong its lifespan.