Can You Do Your Own Air Conditioning Repairs?
It's a point of pride for many homeowners to be able to work on their homes themselves. Not only do most people believe it's cheaper to do so, but they also think that it's quicker than waiting for a technician to get your house.
While some of those assumptions might be true, in other cases, such as working on your own air-conditioner, doing your own DIY repairs can be a recipe for disaster. To be fair, some jobs, such as replacing air filters and unclogging your drain pan, can be done with minimal effort, but you should leave most air conditioning repairs to professionals for the reasons outlined below.
It's Safer
Air conditioners are surprisingly fickle beasts. First, you have to unplug the unit from the energy source to make sure that it doesn't kick on while you're working in between the fan blades. Then, you have to make sure that everything is reattached the right way so that it doesn't misfire and damage the unit. Moreover, something like refrigerant may even be illegal for the average homeowner to work on, since disposing of the old refrigerant usually requires some type of permit or license. And even if you're able to complete the repair job without physical harm, you may inadvertently damage your house or kill your unit's energy efficiency by not reattaching the ductwork the right way or making sure that the condenser coils are free of dust.
It's Cheaper
As mentioned above, one of the main reasons that homeowners prefer to DIY their own air conditioner repairs is because they think it will be cheaper to do so. In reality, getting the right tools and parts — which are acquired by the HVAC company at a discount, normally — is a significant cost by itself, but you also have to factor in the time cost of being away from work and family. If your repair job causes more damage than the initial fix, you'll have to pay not only for an HVAC technician to perform the initial air conditioning repair but also the subsequent one as well.
It's More Effective
Today's air conditioning units are remarkably energy-efficient, and every little nuance associated with the systems needs to be dialed correctly. Professional air conditioning system repair takes all of this into account and is also able to spot potential issues before they flare up. Things such as disconnected ductwork are usually fixed during a routine inspection, as well as condenser coils being cleaned and refrigerant being refilled. While you may think of air conditioner repair is simply taking care of a single issue, technicians will usually help with anything else they see.