What to know when you have your air conditioner serviced

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This is the time of the year as the temperatures heat up, that the whirs of air conditioners fill the air. Air conditioning can use a lot of energy, but with proper maintenance and operation, your unit will run efficiently, saving you energy. If your air conditioner isn't working its best, knowing what to talk to about with the service technician will also save troubleshooting and maximize your service call. When the homeowner calls for service, it's important to know what will be checked and what sort of maintenance will be performed to make sure the service call is a good investment. An informed consumer won't have to pay for product and service they don't need.

Clean evaporator coils and condensation trays are not only important for the unit to run efficiently, but also to ensure good indoor air quality. Dirty coils and trays can grow fungus which would be released into the air. This sort of cleaning, as well as the air filter and blower wheel, will be part of any service call.

When your technician checks the refrigerant charge level, understand that it's just as important that it not be overfilled. Also, the technician should be able to show you exactly where the leak happened and fix the source of the leak as well. If a tech cannot show you where the refrigerant leaked out and tries to explain that "after time units just need recharging", they are not qualified as a technician and you should ask them to leave.

A well trained technician will know your unit's specifications and not simply "top off" the refrigerant, which when poorly handled, can be harmful to the environment and may worsen the unit's performance. The refrigerant should be added slowly in small amounts, with a few minutes time between adding amounts, which allows the temperature and pressure time to stabilize.

Today's post has been brought to you by calgary plumber and air conditioning service calgary, to help consumers understand what to look for in qualified service. We are happy to share this information with our readers. 

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