As much as we rely on our heating systems to keep us warm and comfortable during the cold winter months, we also rely heavily on our air conditioners to keep us cool during those hot and sticky summer nights and days. But when was the last time that you had your air conditioner serviced? How long has it been since you had it installed?
Warning Signs to Look Out for
The fact is that every air conditioner does a lot of work during the hot weather. This places a lot of stress on the system; over time, this means that it will need servicing or repair. The thing is that most of us are not engineers or air conditioning experts so what should one look out for with regard to an air conditioning unit that may not be functioning all that well? Consider the following:
- Inefficient: The ideal air conditioner should be able to work well during any sort of hot weather that we experience. If you notice that your air conditioner is not working all that well, and it seems to take longer to cool a space down than normal, it may be time to call out a technician from a company such as New-Air. After all, what is the point of having an air conditioner if it is not doing the job that it is supposed to be doing?
- Power Draw: All air conditioners draw a fair bit of electrical power in order to function properly. This power draw tends to increase as they are doing more work in the heat. If you notice that there is a spike in your electrical bills that is abnormal, it could be that your air conditioner is drawing more power than it should be. Though a compressor requires a lot of power to cool a space, a unit that is not working properly and is struggling will draw more electricity than normal.
- Noises: It is true that all air conditioners make noise. What would be cause for concern is if a new noise suddenly occurs that doesn’t sound right. It could be a wheezing noise, a vibration, or a normal operational noise that suddenly sounds a lot louder. Any of these could be a sign of a more serious problem and should be evaluated by an experienced technician.
- Power Cuts: If you find that your air conditioner is abruptly switching itself off at mains power and you need to go out and flip the switch back on again, it could be a sign of something in need of repair. Though many air conditioners have inbuilt trip switch capacity, this should not occur during a normal load and may even mean that a circuit board or component needs replacing.
Staying Cool This Summer
There are certainly plenty of air conditioning units on the market today from which to choose and the good news is that the technology behind them is improving all the time. What has not changed is the fact that they will need servicing annually just to ensure that they are working well.