Don’t Fall for A New AC Unit Cost Scam. A Simple AC Repair May Be All You Need.

When the fierce sun and humidity bake everything in and around Texas, it’s hard to imagine life without a functioning air conditioner.

Unfortunately, air conditioners don’t live as long as we do. In Houston, Katy, and Sealy, air conditioners can have very short lives without proper maintenance. The average lifespan of an AC unit is anywhere from 8 to 15 years, but it’s hard to say how long one will last. If your AC does start to fail, a big question is how much is a new AC unit?

The Biggest Factors in Air Conditioner Lifespans

Certain factors can influence how long your air conditioner survives, including the size of the unit, duct design, the amount of use, and how much maintenance it receives. Let’s go over the the different things that can affect your unit.

• Air Conditioner Size. The size of your air conditioner affects how well it works, as well as how frequently it turns on and off. A unit that is too small will run constantly in hot weather trying to cool your home. An oversized unit will have short cycles that don’t remove the humidity from the home, damaging the coil.

• Duct Design. Duct work needs to be designed with the right number of air returns and vents for the home. If your AC is struggling to recycle the air or cool the home because of poorly designed ducts, it’s going to run too much, shortening its life.

• Air Conditioner Use. Like anything else with moving parts, the more you use your air conditioner, the faster it’s going to break down.

• Your air conditioner does its job faithfully, without you needing to do anything, right? Wrong- twice yearly maintenance is important to keep your air conditioner running at its best.

Extending the Life of Your Air Conditioner

Even if your AC is brand new, practice good habits. Get the most out of your unit by doing some simple maintenance each year, including:

• Changing your filters. Plugged up filters make it hard for your air conditioner to work properly. If it can’t suck in air efficiently, it can’t blow out enough cooled air to keep your home comfortable.

• Cleaning your outdoor unit. At least twice a year,  pull vegetation off of your outdoor unit. Spray it down with a hose to remove any dirt and sand that may have gotten into its tiny fins. Vegetation and dirt make your AC unit work harder to lose heat.

• Bringing in some shade. Adding shade can increase your unit’s efficiency. The hotter your unit is, the more it has to work to cool the air. Adding shade to block the sun will make it work better.

• Raising the temperature. It’s tempting to run your air conditioner until the windows frost, but it’s not good for your AC unit. You might be just as comfortable if you turn the temperature up a little and turn on a fan. Not only do fans make it feel cooler, they help air circulate better.

• Schedule a yearly check-up. Once a year, have an air conditioning professional check the coolant level, ductwork and general well-being of your air conditioning system. You may need a simple AC repair. You’ll catch problems early when they can be easily fixed.

Don’t fall for a new AC unit cost scam. A simple AC repair may be all you need. No matter what happens, we are here for you at BVS Home Experts. If you do need a new unit, call us to talk about the cost to replace an AC unit. We have air conditioner technicians standing by 24/7 (yes, even on holidays!). We’ll get everything taken care of to get your home back to normal.

Contact BVS Home Experts today to restore your comfort.

Author Bio:

Ronald Via

Ronald is one of the key contributors to BVS Home Experts, a family-owned and operated full-service air conditioning and heating company serving the Katy and West Houston areas. With a deep understanding of air conditioning and heating concerns, Ronald brings a wealth of knowledge to our readers.