Gee it’s hot! And humid. Hopefully, your Air Conditioning systems are working as they should. A-Team’s service experts have been handling many air conditioning related service calls, but the fact that some of them could have been avoidable has prompted me to write this blog post.

As much as we love seeing, you, our customer, we also love saving you money!

Here are our top six ways to avoid an unnecessary Air Conditioning Service Call:

1. Dirty air filters. When your air filter becomes loaded up with dust it cuts down on the airflow. If it gets bad enough the refrigerant coil ices over and can actually harm your compressor. This can be an expensive repair for the price of an air filter! If you see ice forming on your AC system shut it off immediately. Check your air filter and let the system defrost thoroughly before restarting. The ice starts inside the air handler where you can’t see it- so give it several hours.

2. Thermostat batteries. Thermostats get wonky when the batteries are weak. Replace them every fall when you see the signs outside the fire department urging you to change the batteries in your smoke alarm. Oh, and change the batteries in your smoke alarm too!

3. Condensate leaks. If your system is in the attic and your ceiling starts dripping it’s usually due to a clogged condensate drain. Sometimes you can suction this out with a shop vac, or run a small brush through the trap in the attic.

4. It’s just too hot and humid! Some systems are sized right on the cusp of what they can do in weather like this. If you are setting your thermostat at 70 and it’s only maintaining 74 or so when it’s above 90 degrees outside, your system may be working perfectly! It could just use a little help. When the heat soars, plan ahead. Close shades, curtains, and blinds early to keep the sun from warming the house. Don’t wait to turn your AC on. Set the thermostat low early in the day so the house is already cool. You may still rise above your set-point but you won’t have the hot house and humidity working against you. Removing humidity takes energy too, and that’s energy that could be making the house cooler. Another solution is to add an attic exhaust fan. A-Team Comfort Systems has installed many solar powered fans over the years and they work like magic! The more the sun hits them, the faster they run. This keeps the attic cooler and the air conditioner doesn’t have to work so hard.

5. Contactors or capacitors. These parts get tested during an annual service. We also clean the condensate trap, check the condensate pan, clean the outdoor coil, apply a coil cleaner to the indoor coil, replace the air filter(s), check the blower fins for buildup, check the temperature drop across the cooling coil, and check the thermostat. With regular servicing your system will run efficiently and be more reliable.

6. We’ve had a few calls this summer for clogged or leaky refrigerant circuits. Sometimes leaks happen from worn or aging parts, but quite often it’s just poor workmanship. If refrigerant lines are soldered rather than brazed, or brazed without preventing soot in the lines, or not installing a filter/dryer, you are just waiting for problems. The prevention here unfortunately is hindsight: Remember: Friends don’t let friends use anyone but A-Team Comfort Systems to install their air conditioning!

Just a few ways to avoid unnecessary expense and inconvenience. If all else fails, call the A-Team Comfort Systems Hotline at (845) 246-5454. I could have been watching cartoons and eating cereal this Saturday morning, but I am compulsively helpful and wanted to give you some value just for giving me the courtesy of reading this! Have a great day and enjoy the rest of the summer! Please make someone’s day better today in some small way. I’m sure somebody really needs it.

Thank you as always!

Mark Anderson