Things That Can Happen to Your Air Conditioner Without Maintenance

With winter season round the corner, it is time to crank up the thermostat. However, days of disuse and poor maintenance can put unnecessary pressure on your machine, or worse, cause a breakdown. There are many such things that can go wrong with your AC if you neglect its maintenance and repair. 

 Air Conditioner

In this article, we will share some of those risks of poor maintenance to help educate you about the upkeep of your HVAC and why it is necessary. 


High electricity bills 

According to providers of Houston Air Conditioner Repair Service, experts reveal that the main job of maintenance tasks is to ensure that the AC operates as efficiently as possible. When you don’t get it repaired or maintained regularly, then your unit will use more energy to perform its regular cooling or heating functions, resulting in much higher utility bills. 

Faster wear and tear

When your HVAC unit is forced to use more energy to heat or cool your premises, then it puts unnecessary pressure on your system, causing it to break down more frequently and unexpectedly. If your unit breaks down in the middle of the night, you can take help from 24/7 emergency AC repair service. However, the best way to avoid this situation is its prevention. Moreover, no unit is designed to last longer than 10-12 years. So if you want that it sustains through its complete life cycle, you need to be hands-on with its maintenance and upkeep schedule. Not doing so will either result in expensive repairs or complete replacement. 

Unexpected refrigerant leaks

Refrigerant is the key component in generating cool and comforting air. However, when you do not perform regular maintenance checks, it can lead to refrigerant leaks that can not only affect the cooling capacity of your unit but can also be dangerous if you are exposed to it. Expert technicians use protective gear when dealing with refrigerant leaks. Therefore, if you suspect a spill, then you must seek help from professionals who are experts in handling these kind of issues. 

It can affect the consistency of cooling

Waiting for your system to break down entirely before acting is not the most prudent thing to do. HVAC units cost a fortune. Therefore, you need to act as soon as you see a sign of breakdown. For instance, a poorly maintained HVAC will spew inconsistent cooling, which means that will only cool some parts of the house. As a result, it prevents you from being comfortable in your own home. 

Poor indoor air quality

When you are looking at HVAC maintenance tasks, don’t forget your ductworks. Not cleaning them regularly can lead to accumulation of dust and grime. So When your system is operating, these impurities get circulated throughout the house, affecting the indoor air quality. Breathing this contaminated air is not only bad for you but particularly for someone who is suffering from respiratory disorders. This is the reason it is absolutely crucial to clean up the ducts so that you can maintain the indoor air quality. 

Spread of unpleasant smells

Another point to note with unclean ductworks is that it can also lead to unpleasant odors. How? Imagine an animal or a bird creeping inside your ducts and getting trapped inside. It is only a matter of time when they die due to heat and lack of air flow. Not removing them effectively will make these animals rot and spread bad odor throughout the house. 

Untimely failure of key components

By now you already know that lack of HVAC maintenance may cause your system to fail. However, if your unit doesn’t break down entirely, then individual components may start falling apart sooner than expected. These components include condenser coils, compressors, clogged air filters etc. Needless to say, your AC will not perform the way it should and in some cases may require complete replacement. 


Prevention of HVAC problems

Now that you know the importance of maintaining your units, you must start looking for a reliable HVAC service provider and sign up for their maintenance and repair contracts to ensure its effective performance. At the same time, as HVAC owners, you can also take up some of its upkeep in your own hands. For starters, you should change the air filters in your AC to improve the air flow to increase the efficiency of your unit. You should also increase the insulation of the house to keep the cool air inside. Doing so will put less pressure on the unit to run the AC excessively. 

Read all these tips carefully to plan the maintenance and repair schedules of your expensive HVAC units. By doing this, you can significantly increase the life cycle of your unit.