Updated January 23, 2024

In our last blog post, we reminded everyone here in the Des Moines area that with spring on the horizon, it’s time to get serious about arranging for annual air conditioning maintenance. Now it’s officially spring, and if the weather hasn’t got appreciably warmer, it will soon. Schedule your air conditioning maintenance with our team of professionals and you’ll have a great head start on the hot weather of mid-year.

But, just in case you’re thinking you might skip maintenance this year, we’d like to go through some of the problems that unmaintained air conditioners often run into that require repairs. Yes, we’re trying to scare you a little bit… but these are common problems that we don’t want you to have to deal with, so being a bit scary is the best way to help encourage you to have annual maintenance.

The AC starts to waste money

Stress on any mechanical device will lead to wear and tear that makes it work harder than necessary. Why should a device like an air conditioner be any different? Just consider how much work your AC does during a hot summer here in the Des Moines area. Even a single hot season is enough to put a strain on the system that will translate into an extra electrical drain. Your bills will rise, often as much as 25%, after only a few seasons—something that’s easy to avoid thanks to professional maintenance.

The AC suffers damage because of refrigerant loss

A common trouble for air conditioners is leaking along the refrigerant lines. It often occurs in systems that are around five years old, which is when corrosion starts might hold. Refrigerant is designed to stay at the same level throughout an AC’s lifespan, so any loss of it through leaks will start to restrict performance. But that’s not the worst part. The worst is that an air conditioner running off a reduced refrigerant charge will cause damage to the compressor, the part that’s the most expensive to repair or replace. Maintenance technicians always check on refrigerant to see if there’s a loss of charge, and they fix the problem if they find it.

The AC motors break down

Motors are the key electro-mechanical components in an air conditioner. If they burn out, it means the AC won’t work, either because the blower fan is shut down or the compressor won’t run. An important part of maintenance is cleaning off the motors and lubricating them to lessen the chance of motor burnout. Technicians can also anticipate when the motors are failing so they can be replaced in time.

The evaporator coil freezes

You never want to see ice forming on an air conditioner. It may seem “normal” because the AC sends out cold air—but it isn’t! Ice usually forms on the evaporator coil when there’s trouble, and this soon leads to an AC that can’t provide cooling. There are different reasons for evaporator coil freeze to occur, but all are easily prevented thanks to maintenance: cleaning the coils, checking the refrigerant, changing the filter, etc.

If you want a Service Provider who will treat you and your home like their own, then call us today! At Golden Rule, “We Obey the Rules to Live By.”

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