In the summer heat, a malfunctioning AC can lead to severe health problems, especially in young children and the elderly. Getting your air conditioner fixed is an absolute must, and doing so on your own is not an option as it requires skill and knowledge you don't have. A professional air conditioning service can have your system repaired in no time, even on a tight budget.

Some Work Requires a License to Perform

While many household jobs can be performed by a competent homeowner, air conditioning repair is an exception to this rule. In particular, the freon that powers the unit can only be handled by a licensed technician.

If your unit runs low due to a leak, there is no way for you to legally purchase more. The reason for this is simple: freon can do serious damage to the environment, but it is still extremely useful (without it, you A/C and refrigerator wouldn't work), so the Environmental Protection Agency allows its use, but only if handled by someone who understand how to work with it without causing a hazard.

Freon leaks aren't common, but they do happen often enough that they are something you should understand. Common symptoms are an air conditioner that is only pushing out warm air, takes a long time to cool your home, or starts to form ice on the outdoor condenser. If you have one of these symptoms, you will need to call in a technician to perform the repair, even if you do the rest of your household maintenance yourself.

Mistakes Can Have Serious Consequences

Online repair guides often make common household repairs out to be manageable by just about anyone. In some cases this is true, in others, this is a dangerous fallacy. You shouldn't avoid doing any repairs if you prefer to do things yourself, but you should always take a moment and question whether or not you really have the skills to do the job properly.

In the case of painting a wall, problems can easily be resolved with a new coat of paint. When you are working on a complicated and expensive part, like your air conditioner, mistakes are far more serious.

As discussed, you cannot legally recharge the unit with freon, but you can do other things, such as clean the unit or work on the electrical components. Assuming all goes well, this work can save you serious money. However, if you make any mistakes, you can end up in a situation where a minor repair costs you the entire unit, or worse.

Spotting Issues Early Can Save You in the Long Run

A professional technician won't just repair the immediate problem with your unit. They will also look at the overall health of your HVAC system. Their experienced eye can often spot problems brewing long before your air conditioner actually stops working. By getting the preventative maintenance, you can avoid the misery of another break down, as well as the cost of another emergency visit.

While you want to get problems repaired as quickly as possible, the technician should also be able to provide a reasonable estimate of how long you have to perform the additional repairs. That way you have time to budget for the expense and schedule the additional maintenance. To minimize the chance you will need additional emergency repairs, sign a maintenance contract with your service technician. Most include an annual inspection and basic maintenance, which will help keep your unit running smoothly for years to come.

If you don't have working AC in the summer, you need to call for professional help. Your air conditioner will be able to service you for several more years, and as an additional perk, you will find that only high quality parts are used to replace your non-working ones.