The Australian summer can be super hot. If you live in Australia, you will want to make sure you can stay cool during the intense heat. I came to realise how important HVAC systems are when I moved into an apartment which didn't have HVAC. It was OK in the winter, but by the summer, it was terrible. I called in an HVAC contractor and asked them to install a new system. It was amazing what a difference it made. The contractor also gave me some advice about how to maintain the system. I hope this blog is useful to you.
As a homeowner, you can typically perform some general maintenance of your air conditioner on your own; this might include opening up the screen on the top and cleaning the fan blades and inside of the grill, cleaning outside the grill, and other such minor tasks. However, there are some repairs to an air conditioner that are always best left to a professional, no matter how "handy" you think you are with appliances, and no matter the number of instructional videos you might watch online! Consider a few of those repairs here, and why they're not a DIY job:
Refrigerant
There are two reasons you shouldn't try to refill air conditioning refrigerant on your own; one reason is that you need to add just the right amount. It's easy to think you should add as much refrigerant as will fit in the reservoir area, but too much refrigerant can put pressure on the inside tubing of the air conditioner as the material is being condensed to become cold. Too much refrigerant might also become overly cold, also resulting in added wear and tear on the air conditioner. On the other hand, if you don't add enough refrigerant, it might not get cold enough to cool the air that is being circulated through your unit.
The other reason to avoid doing this job yourself is that it's good to find the source of any leaks that caused the refrigerant levels to get low. Even a small leak will mean not enough refrigerant inside the unit, so a professional contractor should find and address any leaks while refilling that refrigerant.
Thermostat
If the thermostat of your home needs replacing, this should be left to an air conditioning repair professional. The wiring behind the thermostat may be more complicated than you realize, and an upgraded thermostat may require upgraded wiring. If you don't install a new thermostat properly or provide it with wiring needed to feed it adequate power, your air conditioner could cycle on and off too often, resulting in added wear and tear and early breakdown.
Replacing the fan blades
If the fan blades inside the air conditioner are bent or otherwise damaged, they need to be replaced. However, you need to ensure you get the right size and material of blades, and that they're installed properly inside the unit without over-tightening connectors, or those blades won't spin freely and won't circulate air as they should. To ensure those blades are replaced properly, leave this to a professional who can choose the right size, material, and connectors, and perform this job properly.
Share4 August 2017
