AC Repair in Katy, TX

Proven Tips for Katy Air Conditioner Maintenance and Cooling Your Home

No matter the space you have to climate control, proper maintenance of the system will always give you better results. The team here at Seasons Air Condition & Heating want to pass along to you the most effective tips we have learned over years of expertise in the air conditioning business. This series of small choices can accomplish things that all homeowners desire: a more efficient system, better protection from outside temperature swings, better accommodation for larger groups in a space, and lower costs in the short and long run!

 

While many of these things can be done by the homeowner and without cost, other issues may demand that you reach out to a local AC repair expert. If you search for AC Repair Katy, TX, you will find several companies.  Be certain to check credentials, reviews and reliability ratings. Here at Season Air Condition & Heating are confident that you will find the help you need at the price you can handle if you choose to reach out to us.

 

In the meantime, consider some ideas you can work on to give yourself the best chance at longevity in the system and efficiency in the system. If any of these instructions need clarification, please feel free to give us a call.  We’d love a chance to help.

 

1. Start a Warm Weather Checklist. As soon as the weather starts to warm, it is time to run through a checklist to ensure proper air conditioner function in the Summer. As you work through the rest of this list, consider having a note pad and listing the things you feel like you could do on your own. Keep that list somewhere handy and use it in late Spring to determine if you need to get assistance. This goes without saying, but if you need a trained professional to come service your system, calling them before the heat of Summer kicks into gear.

 

2. Have a Functional Understanding of How Air Conditioners Operate – This may not be the most exciting topic to research, but when you think of how valuable this system is to your family, some information can make a big difference. Most systems in homes consist of two parts: the unit outside of your home (with a condenser and a compressor), and an inside unit (evaporator) which is typically located in an area close to your heating unity and the duct work. If your hearing system is a pump and not a furnace, then the indoor portion of the air conditioner unit will be located in the large air handler. There ought to be an owner’s manual you received with the home, and the description of these elements will be shown there. This article will include steps toward maintaining these parts, and your familiarity with them beforehand will be beneficial.

 

3. Clean the Air Conditioner Fins Occasionally. This addresses a simple principle: when you keep something clean, everything about it is better. The fins of the AC unit can often be covered with small collections of debris. It is best to vacuum these fins with a soft brush head. These parts are thin and fragile, so take care not to lean on them or strike them. Typically, a metal guard will keep you from direct access. You will have to remove some screws and pull the cover away. You might reference the owner’s manual, but certainly be careful not to strike the fins when removing the cover.

 

4. Keep an Eye on the Exterior Foundation. Your outside compressor unit is typically installed on a pad made of concrete. However, that pad can settle or sink or crack over the years. This is not an immediate cause of concern, as long as there is no strain placed on the copper tubing in the back. There are cooling tubes and electrical wires back there. If the unit has moved and caused those to be tight or damaged, it needs to be addressed. Also, AC units can sometime sink to the point where rainwater pools around it and gets into the system. This needs to be repaired quickly.

 

5. Invest in a Thermostat you can Program. Due to recent technological advancements, programmable climate devices do much more and cost much less than in years past. These allow you to preset temperatures during certain times of the day. This leads to incredible savings, as you can have the system do the work you need, when you need it, and work less in times when you are not home or the outside temperature drops.  If you have to manually change the temperature to match the situation, it’s usually too late to be efficient. Most units now connect to the internet over a WIFI signal in your home. This means you can program it and adjust it easily from your phone, no matter where you are.   

 

6. Consider Ways to Address the Room that won’t Cool. During the Summer, even with an ample unit and ductwork, some rooms just lag behind. Direct sunlight and other factors contribute to this. You can purchase a Duct Booster for those rooms.  The In-Line version fits inside the duct of that room, and kicks on when the AC unit does, drawing extra air into that room. This will require access to an electrical outlet.  Another approach is called a booster fan, with both vent and register models. This will sit directly on top of or will replace registers on your wall, floor or ceiling. Some models have automatic operation, while others are manual.

 

7. Bring the Noise Down on your current Air Conditioner. The compressor can be quite noisy, especially on older units. Upgrading to a newer condenser or compressor will help. But in the meantime, consider a blanket that is designed to mitigate sound. You can buy one for your exact model or a universal cover blanket. A simple online search will get you to those. Installation is simple. You might think an old blanket will do just as well. It will not, and you won’t want the look of an old blanket on your air conditioner.

 

8. Address Damaged Fins. If the fins are bent, a small amount of pressure can help. You might grab something like butter knife and stick it in less than an inch. Be very careful, as these are fragile, and you could end up with more issue. As stated above, it might be worth taking off the cover to get better access to the fins.

 

9. Check for Issues in the Condensation Drain. That particular tube can get clogged up. The most obvious sign is water collecting in the drainage pan, located near the furnace in the attic. If not properly drained it could fill up and spill over.  Sometimes the condensation has bacteria that turns to slime and clogs the drain. 

 

10. Service the Filter. Find the breaker box and locate the switch associated with the furnace and upstairs unit. Make sure the power Is off. You can then pull out the filter on the furnace and check it for dirt and other debris built up. It would be wise to have a replacement already ordered and on hand.  Replace if needed. If need be, contact a Katy AC Repair company to service the filter for you. 

 

11. Evaluating the Size of your AC Unit. If nothing you try seems to work, there is something else that must be considered. If the unit is undersized for the space, even if it is maintained perfectly, it will cost much and accomplish little. If you do not know the tonnage of your air conditioner, start with that, and measure that against your square footage. When new additions are added to homes, too often the air conditioner limitation isn’t considered. Make sure to discuss that with your home renovator.

 

12. Explore a Whole House Attic Fan. These products have helped to cool homes for 100 years. The principle is simple but affecting. You have a large fan installed in the attic. That fan moves the hot air toward the roofing vents and side vents.  As that air is quickly moved out of the attic, air is drawn up from the rooms below.  If you hope windows in the dwelling below, hot air can be pulled from a home in a matter of minutes!

 

13. Be Sure and Check the Integrity of the Windows. Typically, you won’t be leaving windows open. That is just a fix if heat is out of control and an attic fan is mounted. Otherwise, you want your windows to be closed, airtight, and heat resistant. If your home contains older windows that lack those qualities, it will make things much harder on your system.

 

14. Inspect the Insulation. Whether your insulation is sprayed in or laid in, gaps and misplaced sections can cause issues. Before it gets too hot in the Summer, be sure and do an overall attic examination. You can check for moisture when a Spring shower comes through, but also take a light and just make sure wind hasn’t displaced insulation.  Also, on the AC lines themselves outside the home, if the insulation is missing, be sure and replace it.  Keeping the elements from affecting the temperature of the tubes is a great way to keep trouble away.

 

15. Consider some Personal Troubleshooting. Much of what we have discussed in this article is within that ability of the homeowner. If you can do this work yourself, even things like refilling insulation, it can save you a lot of money. If you have some familiarity with electricity, and can be careful, doing it yourself saves the fee of a service visit.  We would love to help you and solve any issues you might have, but we also want to encourage you to keep an eye on things and do the little things that can make a big difference.

 

16. The AC unit could use a Deep Cleaning. Small air conditioning units in rooms, in windows, or even larger ones in the attic or outside, all can collect dust and pollution from the environment. An inexpensive plastic brush, along with a basic foam cleaning agent, can do wonders for cleaning the system.

 

17. Cool Down that Garage. Lots of families are using their garages for multi-purpose areas. Maybe you have a pool table or do woodwork. If your garage has a window, consider installing a window air conditioning unit.  It will do wonders for a work-space in a typically sized garage and isn’t especially expensive.

 

18. Burn some Incense to Find AC Leaks. Okay, one final thing that can help. Leaks around your home are problematic. Maybe it is around the door frame, or windows, or in other areas. You can close every opening in our house, turn off the air conditioner and fans, and then light up a stick of incense. Walk slowly with it along the perimeter of your home, holding it close to windows and doors and other areas. If the smoke is pulled to house or blows away from it, you have found a leak! Plugging these areas will help the overall efficiency of your air conditioner.