It’s getting hot in here…or noisy…or smelly…or this room is nice and cool while that room is humid…. Looks like your air conditioning unit may need an overhaul.

Don’t take your air conditioning system for granted!

With average Summer temperatures in San Antonio regularly topping 90° your home’s AC unit should not be taken for granted. You know your home better than anyone, but the signs of defective AC may still creep up on you, and chances are just when you need it the
most, it will fail.

A wise man once said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so taking care of potential problems now could save you expensive repairs later on. So here are the 8 key pointers that your AC unit needs some serious attention.

1. Your AC unit is more than 10 years old
The average life expectancy of a home AC unit is between 10 and 15 years. If your unit is approaching its 10 year anniversary (or has gone past it) then it’s time to think about a replacement, especially if you haven’t had it regularly serviced. The last thing you want is for it to die at the wrong moment.

2. Your utility bills are sky-high
Of course you know that an AC unit costs money to run, but if you’ve noticed a spike in energy bills then it could be that your AC is no longer running at peak efficiency and needs a service, or repair.

3. Your AC unit won’t start or won’t stay on
This could be a broken motor or thermostat. And if your AC unit is more than 10 years old it may never come on again. Time for a replacement.

4. Your AC unit is making strange noises
Your AC unit shouldn’t make any excessive noise – actually you should barely be able to hear it at all. So if you’ve noticed banging, rattling, clanking or squeaking coming from it then you have a serious problem. Something could be loose, broken, stuck or damaged, so switch it off immediately and call in an expert.

5. Your AC unit is blowing warm air
Or the system is taking longer to than usual to reach the right temperature. This may be a sign of a tripped breaker, a refrigerant leak or compressor failure.

6. The air flow is generally poor or only some rooms are being cooled
This could be as a result of duct problems, insufficient insulation, a clogged filter or a defective thermostat.

7. Your AC unit smells bad
A metallic smell could indicate burned out wire insulation. A musty smell can mean there’s mold growing inside the ducts.

8. Wet patches near the unit where there shouldn’t be any
This is likely to be one of two things. It’s either a refrigerant leak which is potentially toxic and needs to be dealt with, or condensation inside the ducts or drain tubes which should be dealt with as soon as possible to avoid the mold problems mentioned above.

Call us at Vetter Air today for an inspection of your air conditioning system, cleaning, repairs, or replacement to keep your home cool in the coming summer months.