Late-summer doesn’t necessarily mean cooler weather. In fact, September often delivers some of the hottest days of the year—we had a few days peak in the 90s last week—and this warm weather often lingers through October. The AC keeping you cool still has some heavy work to do, and it may need some help from you at the last minute.
We recommend scheduling air conditioning repair as soon as you notice any troubles with your cooling system, no matter how late in the year. As long as you still require the air conditioner to provide comfort for your household, it’s important to react fast to any indications it isn’t working at its best.
What’s wrong with letting a minor AC problem go?
We understand why you may not want to make urgent moves to repair what seems like a minor air conditioning problem when fall is fast approaching. Maybe the trouble isn’t a big deal. Maybe you can wait until spring to have it fixed.
This kind of procrastination, however, can mean bad times ahead for the AC and your house. Here are a few reasons why:
- “Small” air conditioning troubles are often symptoms of a more serious problem. For example, you may notice the AC starting and stopping more often, although this isn’t causing an apparent loss of cooling. This is called short-cycling, and it can indicate an issue as small as a clogged air filter to as large as leaky air ducts and leaking refrigerant. Ignoring small signs of trouble can allow a major malfunction to go without repairs.
- Repair issues in an AC tend to worsen and spread over time. This is true for any complex piece of equipment. Returning to the above example, even if the trouble behind the short-cycling is minor, the strain placed on the air conditioning system because of short-cycling will create multiple other problems, such as burnt-out motors.
- When an air conditioner is not working at peak performance because of a malfunction, it will labor harder than normal—and drain more power as it does. You’ll end up paying more to run the AC than you should as long as it continues to operate with an unrepaired issue.
- The longer an air conditioner goes without necessary repairs, the chance of the system suffering a premature breakdown increases. You don’t want to replace your AC years early—this is the most expensive “repair” to make!
- You’re only putting the repair off to a less convenient time. Do you want to spend the first days of hot weather in spring scrambling to fix a busted AC?
Last-Minute AC Repairs Are Always Worthwhile
We hoped these reasons have convinced you to take care of your air conditioning system at the end of the season the same way you world in the early and mid-season. A central AC for a house is a large investment, and simple steps such as moving fast to call for professional repairs will help you receive the best return on that investment—i.e. a cool house and bills kept under control.