Marcus Pickett

It's easy to take anything in your home for granted so long as it remains in good working condition. Yet, of all things that can go wrong, it's hard to find one that wreaks havoc like a broken air conditioner in the middle of a muggy,Houston summer. Fans and lemonade won't cut it, no matter what your grandparents used to say about the old days. Hopefully, this article finds you in a situation other than household members snapping at one another or staying at a relative's. If your air conditioning has gone out, you may find a simple solution, but more likely you're ready to go ahead and talk to a professional. If your home hasn't hit emergency proportions just yet, here are a few items to help minimize the headaches and expense of air conditioning repair in Houston.
Identifying Air Conditioning Repairs in Houston, TX
While Houston air conditioning units don't have to endure the deep hibernation of a long, hard winter, the most common time to experience problems with your air conditioning is still in the spring when you first fire up your air conditioning for the year. Of course, this is also the most common time for air conditioning problems for the hundreds of thousands of fellow Houston homeowners. The best thing you can do to avoid the inevitable competition for Houston air conditioning repair professionals is to throw your air conditioning on for an hour or two in the weeks, or even days, before the first onslaught of hot weather. Don't just watch the evening news and think to yourself: It's going to be time to run the air conditioner soon. Start it up right then and there. If it doesn't run smoothly, quietly, coolly, and without any residual odors, check your air conditioning system and start looking for a repair professional.
More Troubleshooting with Houston Air Conditioning
Along with the beginning of hot weather, your air conditioning unit may suffer from tropical storm season where high winds can blow extraneous debris around and into your air condensing unit. When a tropical storm blows through the Gulf, it's a good idea to inspect your home's exterior, especially your roof, siding, yard, and your air conditioning unit. If something impedes the airflow of your air condensing unit, your air conditioning can go out. Catch the problem early, and you may be able to simply remove any impediments. Let it go, and you can be in for bigger problems.
You should also replace temporary filters or clean permanent filters each year to help keep your air conditioning unit running smoothly. Small particles in the filter can cause odors and indoor air pollutants; more serious clogs can cause greater damage and require professional repair services. Finally, the problem with your air conditioning unit may have nothing to do with the air conditioning unit itself. A thermostat malfunction is a common source of air conditioning problems. Particularly, if a thermostat leaves your air conditioning running indefinitely, your air conditioner unit can decompress, creating bigger problems. Superficial problems with your thermostat may be dealt with by a canny DIYer, but you should avoid tackling thermostat wiring unless you have electrical experience beyond basic electrical safety.
The Cost of Houston Air Conditioning Repair
With the nature of the repair, so goes the cost. The simplest problems can be dealt with for $50 to $100, which may include little more than the fee for your Houston air conditioning contractor to come to your home and identify and fix the problem. While you may not be thrilled to discover all you needed was to replace a screw or filter, at least you won't have to pay several hundred dollars to a grand to replace a major component of your system. If the worst happens, be sure to discuss with your contractor the relative virtues of repairing your unit and having it replaced. The last thing you want to do is sink a bunch of money into a unit that's only going to continue to experience problems in the years ahead.
Marcus Pickett is a professional freelance writer for the home remodeling industry. He has published more than 600 articles on both regional and national topics within the home improvement industry.A/C man of houston