preparing your air conditioning unit for summer use

Timely air conditioning repair work can save you on potentially bigger replacement costs. How do you do repairs in time, though, to avoid the worst-case scenario? You need to look for these 5 signs it may be time to address some problems with the A/C system.

Increasing Utility Bills

Okay, you should probably check whether your electric company increased its rates before assuming this is a sign of trouble. Check the bill for overall consumption, especially year-over-year. While you'll want to consider whether this year might just be a notably hot or humid one, your electric consumption shouldn't increase every month regardless of the ups and downs in the weather. If consumption is consistently up, there's a good chance the air conditioning unit needs some attention. Even if that just ends up being a filter replacement, it's wise to have a professional check it.

Decreased Output

This issue can sneak up on you because you might not immediately notice it. Worse, all air conditioning setups will decline in output a bit over their lifetimes. However, once you begin to notice there just isn't as much cool air coming out of an A/C system, you should have a professional check it.

The problem can occur for one of many reasons. It could be as simple as plant matter clogging the outdoor components of the A/C or as bad as a coolant leak. Either way, the air conditioner isn't going to improve in performance without attention, so ask a technician to look at it.

Condensation

It is easy to forget that A/C systems also serve as dehumidifiers. In part, this is to reduce the strain on the system because cooling wet air is harder than cooling dry air. Consequently, any visible uptick in condensation within the air-conditioned space is a bad sign. If you see condensation, ask an air conditioning repair company to look at the issue.

Noises

Even slight noise can signal something isn't right. Generally, an air conditioner should operate within certain noise tolerances. This is especially the case if you have one installed in your home's basement or attic. You just shouldn't be aware of any noises. If you hear noises regularly that weren't previously there, a technician can check the system out.

Smells

An A/C system should be fairly clean-smelling. However, a malfunctioning setup can produce smells ranging from smoky to funky. None of these are good so ask for help. A company like Metro Express Service has more information.