Living in Texas means dealing with excessive heat and high humidity throughout most of the summer. It also means having high electricity bills as a result of how much your air conditioning system has to run to keep your house cool. The best way to make sure you stay cool enough during the summer and keep your AC system from using too much energy is with an annual tune-up. While all AC systems will benefit from a spring tune-up, all of the following signs indicate that you should definitely schedule one before the summer heat arrives.
1. AC Is 8-10+ Years Old
Annual maintenance improves performance and energy efficiency while also helping to prevent breakdowns. Maintenance is especially important for an older AC system, as it helps to ensure the system can cool your home effectively.
As an AC system ages, it becomes more likely to develop various issues that limit its performance and cause a fairly significant drop in its energy efficiency. An older AC that is performing poorly is also more likely to develop a fatal problem that forces you to replace it immediately. That’s one reason why paying for a tune-up is well worth it since it can often help put off having to replace your AC for a few more years. It can also help you to avoid having to pay for expensive repairs or overtime charges for emergency repairs due to your AC suddenly not working.
2. High Electricity Bills Last Summer
If you notice your electricity bills steadily increasing last summer, this is a sure sign you need your system serviced. Increasing electricity bills during the summer are almost always an indication that your AC system isn’t working as efficiently as it should. One common reason this can happen is due to one or both coils being overly dirty.
Cleaning the evaporator coil in the indoor part of the system and the condenser coil in the outdoor unit yearly is essential for ensuring an AC system can cool effectively. When the evaporator coil is dirty, it greatly reduces how much heat the refrigerant can remove from the warm air flowing through the AC air handler. When the condenser coil is dirty, much of the heat remains trapped in the refrigerant instead of getting released outside. As a result, the system can overheat and even catch fire.
In addition to cleaning both coils, the technician will perform a variety of other essential tasks as part of the tune-up service. This includes things like checking the refrigerant level to make sure the system isn’t leaking, inspecting the wiring and electrical components, lubricating the bearings on the motors as necessary, etc. All these tasks are important for helping the system to perform well and lessening the chances of it quitting over the summer.
3. AC Frequently Short Cycles
Short cycling refers to an issue where an AC system only runs for a fairly short time, say 10 minutes or less, and then comes on again not long after shutting off. Even in the hot Texas summers, a properly functioning AC system will rarely need to run for longer than 15-20 minutes whenever it’s just maintaining the desired temperature and not trying to cool the house by more than a degree or two. It will then stay off for around the same amount of time before cycling back on, meaning it will generally only perform two to three cycles per hour.
If you find that your AC system cycles on much more often, it’s a sure sign you need to get it inspected and repaired. Short cycling is most definitely an issue you shouldn’t ignore. One reason is that an AC system uses a large amount of electricity when cycling on. It takes a lot of power for the motors in your system to start, meaning your energy bills will be much higher if your AC continually short cycles. The bigger concern is that the motors experience much more strain when powering on, which is why an AC that short cycles has a much higher chance of breaking down. The added strain is also why an AC that continually short cycles will almost always have a much shorter lifespan.
There are several different issues that can lead to an AC short cycling. One of the most common ones is a dirty air filter. A dirty air filter can greatly restrict the airflow coming into the indoor unit of the AC system, resulting in the blower having to work much harder to draw air in. In some cases, the blower can work so hard that it overheats and causes the entire AC system to shut down. If the sides of the outdoor AC unit are clogged with debris or the fan in the unit isn’t working properly, it can also result in the compressor motor overheating and causing an automatic shutdown.
Another issue that can cause overheating is a failed or malfunctioning run capacitor. This component provides an additional surge of power to keep the motors running smoothly. Without this extra power, the motors again have to work harder and may overheat.
An electrical issue like a loose wire can also result in the AC occasionally losing power and turning off. The fact that an AC can short cycle for so many different reasons means it’s rarely a problem you’ll be able to solve on your own.
4. AC Struggles to Keep Your House Cool
Another certain sign that your AC needs to be serviced and potentially repaired is if it has issues keeping your house cool. In the Texas heat, it’s common for a poorly maintained AC to run almost continuously from early in the day until late in the evening. If you find that your AC is constantly running and the temperature in your house never decreases, it’s essential you have it inspected and serviced immediately. Not only will your electricity bills skyrocket if your AC runs constantly, but running constantly can also shave years of life off of the system.
5. AC Is Often Excessively Loud
Excessive noise or unusual sounds are also an obvious sign an AC system should be serviced or repaired. For instance, a loud squealing or screeching sound indicates that the bearings that drive the blower motor, compressor motor or condenser fan motor either need to be lubricated or replaced. If you hear excessive noise inside your house, it often indicates that the blower is struggling due to it being coated in lots of dust and needing to be cleaned.
Let the Pros Help You Get Ready to Beat the Heat
For top-notch air conditioning and heating services in the Cleveland, TX, area, look no further than ASAP HVAC. Our expert technicians have years of experience in the full range of HVAC services and can make sure your air conditioning system gets the job done all summer long. We service air conditioners and heat pumps from all brands and can properly take care of any repairs your system needs as well. To schedule a tune-up for your AC to make certain it is fully ready for summer, contact us today.
