Don’t get scammed into expensive AC repairs

• Don't panic. If your air conditioner fails, and you do not have a contractor that you have worked with in the past and trust, ask your neighbors who they use. Check the Better Business Bureau's website, or check Angie's List, to learn more about who to hire. Just because a company has a big budget for television ads does not necessarily make it reputable.
• Don't replace it just because a guy you don't know said to. While nothing lasts forever, I am seeing more incorrect or even dishonest diagnoses where a homeowner is told the AC needs to be replaced when it can be repaired. If you are told that you need a new air conditioner and/or furnace, get three diagnoses and three bids. I have seen lots of cases where a minor repair solves the problem and saves the homeowner thousands of dollars.
• Ask what the Freon costs. If your air conditioner has been recharged in the past and you suspect that it is not working because it is again low on Freon, ask what you are being charged for R22 refrigerant. R22 is the most common refrigerant used in home air conditioners and the price has increased dramatically in the past few years. Last year, while most of the area contractors were charging $30 to $40 per pound, there were some that were charging $120 per pound. This year will be even higher due to EPA production limits.
• Keep it clean. One of the biggest problems with air conditioners is dirt. Turn off the power to the air conditioner and use your garden hose to remove as much dirt, leaves, seeds and debris as you can. Do this repeatedly over the course of the cooling season. Never run your lawn mower so that it discharges the grass clippings onto the AC. Dirt on the outside coils reduces air flow, raising the pressure of the Freon, making the compressor work harder. This shortens the life of the compressor and reduces the efficiency of the air conditioner.
• Trim the bushes. Keep vegetation away from the AC. Manufacturers have minimum distances they require to be kept clear from the sides and the top of the air conditioner. The distance on the sides might be as little as 12 to 18 inches, but the distance above the AC can be as much as five feet. Be careful when you are working around the refrigerant lines and the wires to the AC.
• Change your filter. Good air flow across the evaporator coil on your furnace is essential for your AC to work well. Change it monthly. A dirty filter can cause the coil to ice over, and in an extreme situation, can cause liquid refrigerant to get back to the compressor, causing it to fail.
• Clean that drain line. The humidity removed from your home by the evaporator coil drains away from the furnace by a small pipe or hose. If that drain gets clogged, the water can run into the furnace and damage it. Using a Shop Vac to suck out that line could save you an expensive service call. Usually these drains go to a floor drain, and the Shop Vac should be used there to remove any debris.
• Don't try to do it yourself. Beyond the tips I just offered, don't try to fix it yourself unless you know what you are doing. Air conditioners and furnaces can be very complex and require special training, tools and equipment to accurately diagnose and repair them. The average homeowner does not have those, and a mistake could result in injury or death because of the electrical voltages and the refrigerant used.

I hope you have found these tips useful. If you want to contact me, I can be reached by email at MSCo_Oxford@ earthlink.net.

Michael L. Schnipper is a self-employed HVAC contractor and a York dealer who has been in business for 32 years.