You’ve always been known for being pretty handy. You change the oil in your own car. You’ve rebuilt engines. You even fixed that old run-down television sitting in the guest room of your Hillsborough County, Florida, home. You know your way around tools, and you prefer to fix things yourself. It’s an admirable quality and, most of the time, it makes good economic sense.
When it comes to your HVAC system, though, consider this the one part of your home that you should never repair yourself for several reasons.
Proper Training and Tools
HVAC professionals train for years, even spending time as an apprentice, before becoming certified to repair air conditioners and other HVAC equipment. Unless you have that kind of training, step away from your unit and put down the wrench. HVAC repair also requires specific tools and gauges, as well as safety equipment like goggles, gloves, ear protection, and respiratory protection.
Safety Concerns
Air conditioners, heat pumps, and other HVAC systems rely on electricity and chemicals — either of which can prove deadly at any time. Cross the wrong wires and you may electrocute yourself. The refrigerant chemicals used in HVAC systems are deadly when not handled properly. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a specific certification to even handle those chemicals because they’re so dangerous.
Additional Costs
You think you have the right tools. You’re not concerned about the safety issues because you’ll take your time and be careful. Have you thought about how expensive a mistake could be? When a HVAC professional gets it wrong, you aren’t responsible for the cost to fix it. When you work on your own air conditioner or heat pump, you are. If you connect the wrong parts, you could blow your condenser, easily the most expensive piece of equipment.
Voiding Your Warranty
Depending on the system you have and how old it is, it may still have some warranty left on it. Read the fine print of your warranty agreement. There’s a good chance that regular maintenance and repairs by a HVAC professional are required to make sure your warranty remains valid. Deciding to make one small repair yourself could ruin your chances of having big repairs done at little to no cost to you before your warranty expires.
What You Can Do Instead
There are plenty of things you can do to help take care of your HVAC system. You don’t always have to call us the moment you have a problem. If you troubleshoot a few things, you may find the answer without breaking out the big tools or safety goggles — and hurting yourself or voiding your warranty.
- Change your filters regularly. Check them monthly and change them at least every three months.
- If air isn’t blowing well or cool, check your filter first, then make sure none of the vents are blocked.
- Remove debris from the outside unit so it doesn’t get clogged and slow down.
- If your HVAC stops working, check the power switch or your circuit breaker.
- When you’re not cooling down fast enough, check your thermostat first, then check to make sure registers and vents are open.
When You Need to Call in the Professionals
Because working on your HVAC system is dangerous and expensive and troubleshooting will only get you so far, there are two times when you should call in a professional for help:
- Call when you need to schedule maintenance, which will help your system run smoothly and efficiently without needing a lot of repairs on hot days.
- Call when troubleshooting doesn’t solve the problem.
And if you do decide to try your luck and DIY your repair, give us a call if something goes wrong. We can help you fix the original problem plus any new damage.
Are you ready for a HVAC upgrade, or is it time to schedule your HVAC service? Contact Senica Air Conditioning, Inc. today at 866-881-5935.
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