Turn On The A/C . . . What Can Go Wrong?

"It was working fine when I turned it off last fall."

Have you ever been surprised to find when you turn your A/C on for the first time in the spring that it doesn't work? What could possibly be wrong? It was working fine when you turned it off.

As it turns out, there are many things that may have happened.

• Critters:  You may think covering the exterior unit for your Air Conditioner  helps to protect it from the elements, but instead it provides a shelter for critters looking for a place to spend the winter. Often these critters will chew through wiring damaging the unit.
  
  It is important to remember that your A/C unit is designed to be exposed to the elements. It isn't necessary to cover it.
• Dirt:  It is unavoidable, both the interior and exterior components of your central air are going to get dirty. A dirty unit will work harder, putting additional stress on individual parts of the system.  It is important to have your system inspected and cleaned annually to help it last longer and perform better.
  
  It is advisable to have a qualified technician handle this as many parts of the unit are easily damaged and difficult to get to.
   
• Age:  At some point the components of your central air conditioning system are going to fail, no matter how well you take care of the system. A trained HVAC technician can identify signs that indicate when sensitive parts of your air conditioner may be getting ready to fail. Would you rather deal with it now, or on a hot summer day? It is also important to note that failing components may damage other parts of the A/C system that otherwise would have been fine, adding to the cost of repair.

• Neglect:  If a previous home owner or you yourself have not taken good care of your central air conditioner, anything can happen. Do you replace your furnace filters regularly? A dirty filter will cause the system to work harder putting excessive stress on parts. Do you schedule annual inspections and maintenance?

Now is the time to call for an appointment.

A clean, healthy central air conditioner will bring you much needed relief from the hot summer days that are approaching. If you have been neglecting to take care of it, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. An annual inspection and maintenance will go a long way toward reducing expensive repair costs and extending the life of your central air.

Call AEM Mechanical Services, Inc.,  at 320-587-0991 to schedule your annual central air conditioning maintenance checkup before you turn it on.