How To Avoid High Air Conditioner Repair Prices

Construction & Contractors Blog

As the weather warms, your air conditioner may become a necessity, but summer is also one of the worst and most expensive times for your air conditioner to break down. You may end up paying more than any other time of year for repairs, and you'll be uncomfortable on top of that. However, with a little annual maintenance, do-it-yourself work and smart scheduling of repairs, you can end up paying a lot less money to have your air conditioner repaired.

Keep Up With Maintenance

Your air conditioning unit needs a little love once a year, typically during spring before you start turning it on for the summer. The outdoor box needs to be cleaned and serviced; for example, the grates needs to be cleared of debris and coolant levels need to be checked. Because this is regular maintenance and not repairs, you won't spend too much money on it, and it's worth the price. If the repairman finds any issues during the inspection, you can get them repaired before the heat of summer.

Preventative maintenance will also lessen the likelihood of major damage, so even if you have to pay for repairs, you'll be paying for smaller, minor issues rather than serious damage.

See What You Can Fix Yourself

If you've never played with your air conditioner beyond your thermostat, you may feel like it's too complex for you to touch. But before you call a repairman out to investigate, you can check to see if you're suffering from common and easily fixable issues.

• If your air conditioner doesn't turn on at all, check your electric panel for tripped circuit breakers. You may just need to reset the circuit.
• If you are getting cold air but not very much of it, you may need to replace your air filter. This should be done every few months during periods of high use; dirty air filters block air flow.
• If your air conditioner is leaking, check to make sure that the condensate pan (where condensation drains into to flow outside) isn't clogged with dust and debris. You can clean this simply by flushing it out.

Call For Repairs Early

Repair costs aren't the same all year long. During the peak of summer when everyone is using their air conditioners, prices will rise due to demand. This happens often because many people don't turn on their air conditioner until summer is already here, by which point it's too late.

To avoid the high prices of demand, give your air conditioner a few test runs during late winter or spring. Not many people will need air conditioner repairs during the cool months, so prices won't be as high. This is also a good time to call for other routine maintenance and issues, such as duct repair or energy bill problems.

To learn more about air conditioning repair, contact a company like Southwest Heating and Cooling. 

14 May 2015