The central cooling system installed in my home is a little over six years old. It has always operated reliably and managed to maintain a comfortable temperature. Last summer, we experienced extreme heat and humidity, with temperatures up into the high nineties. The air conditioner seemed to be running non stop, and yet the house felt slightly overheated and sticky. Several times, I lowered the thermostat setting, but it didn’t seem to make any difference. I realized that the air coming from the supply vents was not as cool as usual, and there was definitely not as much air. Although I dreaded the cost of air conditioner repair, my monthly electric bills were steadily adding up. I certainly couldn’t afford to keep wasting energy and operating a malfunctioning air conditioner.
I scheduled an appointment, and a local HVAC contractor inspected the cooling system. He identified a significant buildup of dust and other contaminants within the inner workings, as well as a refrigerant leak. The technician completed a thorough cleaning of all components, fixed the leak, and recharged the refrigerant. He completed the entire job in a little over an hour, and it wasn’t terribly expensive. The noticeable savings on my monthly energy bills has easily recovered the cost. Plus, my house is so much cooler and more comfortable.
The air conditioner no longer runs for such lengthy cycles, and I don’t need to clean as often. Instead of introducing pollutants into the home, the air conditioner is filtering them out, and providing healthier indoor air quality. I plan to schedule professional maintenance for the cooling system every every year from now on.