It’s March, which means the NCAA basketball playoffs, Women’s History Month, and the start of spring are at hand. Here in Middle Georgia, we’re experiencing record heat/record lows/record rainfall/record drought. (We wrote this a couple of days ago, so we’re not sure what kind of weather we’ll be having when this article is published.)
Whatever it’s doing outside at this particular instant in time, you can rely on two things from a Middle Georgia spring:
- The weather outside will be different by the time you finish this article, and
- It’s going to be hot outside really soon.
And when we say “hot” and “soon,” we mean Georgia hot, and really soon. Maybe before the end of next month.
So, while temps are still below 90, it’s a great time to think about your home’s air conditioner and its maintenance. Now’s the time of year to make sure that your AC is ready to face the coming onslaught of summer heat. So, go ahead and give us a call at Pruett Air Conditioning and we’ll… What’s that? You want to do your air conditioner maintenance yourself?
That might not be a great idea – and here are some reasons why.
Air Conditioner Maintenance Can Be Dangerous
There are few appliances in your home that can injure or even kill you in quite as many ways as your home’s air conditioner. Between the incredibly high voltages and currents running through the wiring in your system to the potential dangers of a refrigerant leak, there’s plenty in even a small air conditioner waiting to harm an unwitting DIYer.
Zap! Electrical Hazards in Your Air Conditioner
Usually running on 220 volts of alternating current, even just the regular running voltage of an air conditioner is enough to stop your heart and cause severe burns. But there’s another electrical hazard in there that’s even more dangerous: your system’s start/run capacitor.
A capacitor is kind of like a battery, in that it stores an electrical charge for later use. The difference between the two is that a battery releases its current slowly, over time, in a gentle, regulated way – like a series of gradual taps from a light hammer. A capacitor empties its tank all in one brief instant, releasing a huge rush of electricity in just a few milliseconds – like a sledgehammer.
One false move around your start/run capacitor, and you’ll be in the emergency room, if you’re still alive at all.
Chemical Hazards in Your Air Conditioner
This risk has actually been significantly reduced over time. Early refrigeration and air conditioning units used undiluted ammonia as a refrigerant, and countless individuals were blinded or given severe chemical burns while trying to repair a refrigerator or AC.
Today’s air conditioners rely on safer refrigerants, such as the common Puron (R410-a) or others. While the risk of blindness and chemical burns may have been reduced, these gases still live inside your air conditioner under immense pressure. If your attempt at air conditioning maintenance leads to the accidental cutting or removal of a refrigerant line, refrigerant will begin escaping rapidly. The blast of gas can be harmful in a few ways – not the least of which being that the escaping gas will be cold enough to flash-freeze any skin or tissue it comes into contact with. (It’s also an expensive repair and bad for the environment.)
Air Conditioner Maintenance Requires Special Equipment and Training
Sure, you can hose off the fins on your outside evaporator unit and replace your air filter, but do you have a calibrated gauge to measure the pressure of refrigerant inside your system? Infrared cameras that allow you to measure the temperature of air inside various points of your system? Airlfow meters and particle detectors to measure the movement and quality of air inside your home? How about a Fetzer valve? (Okay, we got that last one from a movie.)
Your local AC company has the tools they need and the training required to use them. Your air conditioner is a complex system with many moving parts and interconnected control systems. It’s incredibly easy to damage an expensive heat pump or central air unit if you’re not using the proper tools in the proper way for your maintenance needs. Today’s newest units are even more complex than their counterparts of even a few years ago, with systems to improve efficiency, increase convenience, and reduce environmental impact.
Air Conditioner Maintenance is Not Expensive
If you think you’re saving money by doing it yourself, you’re probably wrong. Air conditioning maintenance is one of the most affordable services available, and scheduling regular maintenance is a great way to ensure that your entire heating and cooling system lasts for as long as possible.
Think of it this way: you may have to spend a little money to have your air conditioner serviced by a professional. But even a high maintenance bill is better than getting electrocuted, burned, or frostbitten during a maintenance job. It’s also cheaper than paying for a repair or replacement because you’ve managed to “over-maintain” your air conditioner and now it doesn’t work right.
And even if your concern isn’t with the money, letting someone else do it means you get to stay inside where it’s comfortable while your air conditioner is getting its annual checkup. After all, it’s starting to get hot out there.
Pruett Air Conditioning Is Ready to Help You Get Ready for the Coming Summer Heat. Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late – Call the Man Today!
Trust us: you’re going to want to know that your AC is working at the top of its game here in just a few weeks! Call today and let us give your AC a clean bill of health before the temps start their inevitable climb: 478-953-4986
Pruett Air Conditioning has offices in Warner Robins and Eastman, GA, so no matter where in Middle Georgia you’re located, Pruett is your local HVAC company.
- Bonaire, GA
- Byron, GA
- Centerville, GA
- Cochran, GA
- Dublin, GA
- Eastman, GA
- Fort Valley, GA
- Kathleen, GA
- Macon, GA
- McRae, GA
- Perry, GA
- Warner Robins, GA