Air conditioning season means upkeep time

Hear that sound?

That humming coming from outside. From next door. It’s a buzz you can expect to hear all summer, as the heat rises.

It’s the motor of your air conditioning, as it works its magic, filling your home with regulated cool air so we can live cool and safe lives as the Arizona temperatures reach triple digits. 

Just like cars, air conditioners can be maintained to last longer, and limit high-priced repairs or loss of service in the height of the heat. Several Maricopa companies are out and about checking the precious machines before they hit into high gear.

“This is the busy time of the year. Usually April starts the season where people want to take care of regular maintenance,” said Shane Phillips, owner of Maricopa-based Absolute Air Comfort.

The best thing homeowners can do is pay a minimal fee for annual check-up, for pressure tests, refrigerant levels, and to see if something is about to fail, he said.

“I’d rather do jobs where I am keeping things maintained for just a little bit of money,” Phillips said. “When I come out and tell somebody their system is broke, and it will be ($2,000 to $3,000) to fix it … I don’t like giving that kind of news. Especially when it could have been prevented.”

Common emergency repair calls he receives during the summer include low refrigerant that makes the air conditioner work harder, and at times not cool as it should, and electrical items such as the fan motor or capacitor that fail.

“Electrical components give us tell-tale signs when something is about to fail,” he said. “If you replace an electrical component before it fails, it can save you from having to replace an expensive item later, like a compressor.”

Doug Nanfito and Debra Kelly have owned Maricopa Fix It since moving to Maricopa in January 2012, and also offered advice for homeowners to maintain their systems.

 “Turn the system on once a month for 10 minutes during the off season,” Nanfino said. “Change your filters when they need to be. If your thermostat uses batteries, change them once per year. 

“Never operate a system that is not working properly,” he added. “This can cause extensive damage to parts that were working.”

Your air not working right and past the point of upkeep?

Nanfito offered this advice: “Don’t pay too much for a check-up disguised as a tune-up and be aware that the technician that checks your system could be a salesman that makes commission on everything he can sell to you. Most failures are not serious. Half of the units I fix require a new run capacitor. It is located outside. It works hard in the heat providing enough voltage for your compressor and condenser fan. It takes 10 minutes to charge. You should not be paying hundreds of dollars to replace a capacitor.”

He advised customers to ask upfront about trip and service charges and verify qualifications. For instance, he adds, adding refrigerant to a system that does not need it could run hotter not colder, and damage components.

“Freon never wears out,” he said. “It never goes bad. If you are low on refrigerant, it leaked out or was released.”

If you do get an estimate that ends up in thousands of dollars, he said, “get a second opinion.”

“I know it’s hot in the house and you need it fixed, but remember the technician might be making commission,” he said. “Think about what that means to you. Go stay with a friend or relative, buy some fans or a window AC unit and wait for an honest repair with an honest bill.”

There are times when there is no way around a repairman. In those cases, keep in mind how hot it is in your house — especially the attic, Nanfito said. Be sure your repairman is OK in the hot attic as repairs are done. “Thirty minutes it can be all it takes for a medical emergency.”                                               

Steve Gendur of Maricopa spent 45 years in the air conditioning repair industry, and now only works with family and long-time clients. Retired, he offered two pieces of advice for homeowners to help their air conditioners last longer and work more efficiently:

“The only thing they really can do by themselves to help prevent problems with their units is try to keep it clean, especially after a sandstorm,” he said. “They could wash down the outside unit, the condensing unit. Hose it down, just wash the dust out of it. That really helps it to work more efficiently.

And, he added, “Make sure you are changing the inside filter in your home.”