With daytime temperatures already dipping below 70°F, you are probably using your air conditioner a lot less, if you’re still using it at all. Given that you won’t need the AC much for another couple seasons, you’re probably tempted to let any current repair needs wait until then.
Why wait, though? Really … this will only allow problems to grow, possibly leaving you with a completely broken down cooling system when you do need it again next spring.
Additionally, the end of summer is actually one of the best times to invest in professional Seattle, WA air conditioning services. It enables our technicians to fully inspect your system and make sure it’s in decent shape. True, we do usually recommend a system inspection—AC maintenance—before summer begins. However, it matters more that you have it done once a year than it does what month or season you have it done.
“What Will Happen If I Skip Maintenance?”
Your air conditioner might be just fine next year, but skipping maintenance puts it at an undue risk for problems. Skipping maintenance and neglecting care of your AC as we progress into the cooler seasons could leave you facing the following problems next spring:
Fan Issues: There are two fans within your air conditioning system. The first one is the blower fan, also known as the evaporator fan. The other is the condenser fan. These two fans enable cooled air to circulate properly throughout your living space. After a long summer of moving air, the fan blades can become loose, worn out, or you can experience electrical issues with the system.
Refrigerant Leak: One of the things checked during maintenance is the AC’s refrigerant line. Refrigerant is not something that naturally dissipates with your system. Despite a common misconception, your air conditioner is supplied with enough during installation that the refrigerant should last the entire lifecycle of your system. So if you’re losing any, it means you have a leak.
A refrigerant leak will lead to a loss of cooling power and can lead to a number of operational problems for your air conditioning system. Aside from loss of cooling, other signs you can watch for that indicate a refrigerant leak include the sound of hissing or bubbling, and a frozen evaporator coil.
Dirty Coils: Speaking of coils, your air conditioner has two—an indoor one and an outdoor coil. These work to regulate the heat exchange process in order to provide you with cool air. In other words, they work together to remove heat from your home, release it outdoors, and cool your indoor air through the refrigeration process.
Too much dirt and grime can prevent them from doing their job, thus rendering your cooling system inoperable. Cleaning is an important step in professional maintenance, so the good news is you can avoid this!
Frozen Coils: Those refrigerant leaks we mentioned above are a common culprit for frozen coils. Ice development on your AC coils means that they can’t adequately absorb heat, and therefore your AC system can’t effectively do its job. Frozen coils are something an HVAC professional must be addressed. Attempting to thaw or remove the ice yourself can cause more damage to the air conditioner and also doesn’t resolve the problem that caused the ice development to begin with.