The Lone Star State gets hot and muggy in the summertime, so you need an AC that’s always working in top-notch condition. You searched “AC repair near me” to find a company to install, inspect, and/or repair your unit. If an extra hot day sneaks up on you, it can be downright dangerous to be without a working AC, even if it’s just for a few hours.
How do you know which repair company will fix your AC correctly? Read this article to learn more about the best AC services in your area.
What are HVAC Systems?
The letters in HVAC stand for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Your HVAC unit is installed in your home, building, auto, or RV and maintains comfortable temperatures, humidity levels, and ventilation. Proper HVAC installation right off the bat, is the first step in ensuring its long lifespan and effective operation.
In this article, we’ll use the term “air quality”, which refers to levels of pollutants, humidification, and dehumidification.
Benefits of Central Air Conditioning
Do you only have a couple of rooms cooled? Your body will become exhausted by going from a cool room to a hot room, and back again, and your bills will skyrocket if you keep several separate units working to cool your whole house. Consider installing a central AC unit to regulate your indoor environment.
Some people don’t mind wall units, window units, or portable units in their homes. These can do the job depending on your needs and sensitivity to temperatures. However, upgrading to central air comes with benefits that are sure to please you, your family members, your pets, and your guests.
Upgrading central air conditioning is a big step, and it can change your life. If you’re sick of having only one or 2 rooms cooled in the summer, switch and feel the difference! Check out these fantastic benefits you’ll get from a central AC system!
- Central AC will lower your energy bill. In a case where you have more than five window units cooling your space, switching to central AC is a better deal. The costs of purchasing and maintaining central air are more cost-effective and designed to be so. A single energy source powers the unit, rather than many.
- Central AC units are built to last years, which contrasts with the short lifespan of many portable, wall, or window units. These can cause shorts when not replaced in time, raising the risk of electrical fires. Therefore, central air conditioning units are safer and more reliable.
- Mold and mildew prevention is a great reason to switch to central AC. We all know that mold removal can get pricey. They can get into your clothes, bedding, cloth furniture, etc. They cause respiratory problems which can be made worse by poorly maintained portable, wall, or window air conditioning units.
Those were a few of the benefits you’d experience with central AC. It’s an investment that will better your health and comfort. In general, investing in one quality item is smarter than buying a large number of poor quality items that will soon need replacements.
Signs you Need Expert AC Repair
There are certain obvious signs that you’re having problems with your AC unit. If you’re not sure, find the best AC repair company and give them a call to get answers to your questions. Schedule repairs if you see or hear any of these signs:
1. You Hear New Noises While it’s Running
You might hear sounds that are new, or that you recognize as a problem with your AC unit. These include screeching, hissing, rattling, bussing, and clanging. Search for AC repair near me and give the best one a call. Never ignore one or more of these noises, because they could indicate serious problems.
2. Your Energy Bill Inexplicably Increased
You’re used to your energy bill fluctuating based on AC use, but large changes are typically a sign of a problem. This could happen slowly or all at once, depending on the issue. It’s best to contact your repair company because they’re experienced at putting the clues together and diagnosing AC problems.
3. Sporadic Starts & Stops
Just like a car, your air conditioning should run smoothly. If you notice it runs for a short time, then stops and starts again, you should call a repair company. This is called short cycling and will cause havoc for you and your wallet down the road if it isn’t addressed.
4. Do you Notice Signs of a Leak?
Go outside and look around your AC unit, and also check its indoor components. It’s normal to see moisture around the outdoor unit. But, moisture around air handlers or leaks from the indoor portion could indicate a frozen evaporator coil, refrigerant leak, or a clog in the condensate drain.
5. No Cool Air is Circulating
This could be a problem with your thermostat, dead thermostat batteries, or a setting mistake. We would be happy to walk you through a troubleshooting process if you give us a call. Whether it’s caused by the above, airflow, electrical, or refrigerant problems, you’ll want to address it immediately.
You may have found us by searching, “car repair near me”, “auto ac repair near me”, “home ac repair near me”, or “RV ac repair near me”. The signs above can sometimes pertain to these types of AC units. Building and home HVAC systems are mainly the types to which we refer here in this article.
Benefits of Regular HVAC Maintenance
Maintenance should not be seen as a luxury but as a necessity! You need to have maintenance done at least once a year. Don’t skip a year, or you could be looking at replacement because of long-term wear and tear. Let’s look at some great benefits of regular maintenance.
1. Optimal System Efficiency
An important benefit of regular HVAC system maintenance is the improvement in its efficiency. Your system will lose about 5% of its energy efficiency each year. Schedule these maintenance appointments with qualified HVAC companies to avoid poor-quality service and have affordable comfort all year round.
2. Fewer Repairs
Your system’s operation will improve if you keep up on the appointments. Think of it as a tune-up. Just like your car, you need to have your HVAC tuned up regularly to keep it running smoothly. Broken parts wear out other parts over time, but tune-ups can eliminate the initial repair altogether.
3. Maximized System Lifespan
Protect your system to help it last as long as possible. You’ll kick yourself if you’re faced with an early HVAC replacement when you could have avoided it with regular maintenance. A full replacement isn’t cheap. Let us help you make yours last as long as it was designed to last!
Wear and tear are unavoidable. Everything wears down eventually, no matter how well-made it might be. The key, just like working out, is to keep your system in great shape, to the best of your ability. This will help it at optimal performance and lifespan.
4. Optimal Cooling Power
Maintenance will make it easier for your AC unit to cool the house, which means a lower energy bill for you. It helps with reliability when your HVAC system isn’t strained. Having the loose parts tightened, dust cleared, and more, you’ll have cool air even during the hottest weeks in Austin, Texas.
5. Optimal Air Quality
Did you know that indoor air can be anywhere from 10-100x more polluted than the air outside? We spend, on average, about 90% of our time indoors, so cleaning the indoor air is essential. As we mentioned above, pollen, dust, and dust mites are just some of the pollutants that can affect indoor air quality.
Schedule your annual appointment if you haven’t done so yet this year. Sign up for our maintenance program so you never skip a year. We’d love to hear from you here at Schneider Mechanical. You’ll get the best AC repair in Austin, Texas! We want to keep your home as comfortable as possible!
Air Purification Systems
We offer different solutions to combat indoor air pollution. We have an air purifier that can be added to your heat pump, coil, or air handler. It can easily remove odors, dust, mildew, mold, fungus, and pollen. Extra measures include germicidal lights and filtration ad-ons.
If you want to keep allergens and pathogens out of your indoor air, you’ll need to have your air filter replaced regularly. Dust can contain dust mites which can enter your lungs and cause havoc to your respiratory health. Whatever type of space you live in or maintain, this is key to occupants’ health and comfort.
How to Recharge a Home AC Unit
Learn all about how to properly recharge your AC. Make sure your HVAC system is ready to go before the hot weather hits us! Let’s talk about what a recharge is and the proper steps you would need to take to complete one. But how do you know whether or not your AC unit needs a recharge?
Regular filter changes and a yearly tune-up should keep your AC unit working well all year. But if you notice warm (or room-temperature) air exiting your vents, there’s definitely something wrong. It might mean that your HVAC unit is in need of a recharge.
An AC recharge isn’t like a device recharge, for example. With an AC recharge, someone needs to put additional refrigerant to the unit and check for proper refrigerant system pressurization. If you need Freon for your home HVAC system, please contact a professional. It’s required to do so, according to EPA regulations.
How Often Do You Need an A/C Recharge?
Home AC refrigerant systems are sealed, which means they aren’t designed to even need to be recharged. However, a home AC unit’s refrigerant system can develop leaks. Your technician will tune-up your AC every year and check levels, pressure, and leaks associated with its refrigerant system.
If your system does have a leak, your technician will need to repair it and refill the refrigerant. A clue that you have a leak is gradual warming of the air that is supposed to be cooled by the AC unit. A sudden warming of the air usually indicates a broken thermostat.
If you see frost or ice buildup on the unit, that’s a sign that your refrigerant could be leaking. The reason you’ll know this is because refrigerant gas freezes everything it touches. It’s normal to see some frosty pipes. These are the condenser coils and are an essential part of the refrigerant system.
How Much does an AC Recharge Cost?
What type of home AC recharge you need depends on the cause of the leak. A basic recharge or refill will cost between $150 and $350. Ultimately, the cost of buying freon and having a pro freon refill will depend on your service provider. You’ll also have to pay for the repair of the cause of the leak.
Repair or Replace?
How do you know whether you should repair or replace your air conditioning unit? If your unit is on the older end of the spectrum, say 15 or 20 years old, and leaking freon, you’ll probably need a full replacement. Even if this unit is repaired, something else will soon go wrong, because it’s almost to the end of its expected lifespan anyway.
If you have a leak in a newer unit but the unit has been poorly manufactured, this is another case where you’d probably want to replace it. Most of the time, with newer units, you’ll want to repair the leak. But ultimately it depends on the size and cause of the leak, and whether the parts and labor would be more expensive than replacement.
Blowing hot air could be a sign of a refrigerant leak or broken thermostat, as you learned above, but it could also be a sign that the unit needs a new filter. If your AC breaks down, we have financing available. Depend on the professionals here at Schneider Mechanical to keep you comfy and cool.
Ask anyone who has had to deal with a broken AC or furnace and they’ll tell you it’s a huge hassle unless you hire a professional. When extreme weather strikes, being without a working HVAC system could be a matter of life or death in some cases. Best case scenario, you’ll be very uncomfortable.
Air conditioning, ventilation, and heating systems will break down just like any other system. Our technician will most likely be able to repair the broken part. Avoid malfunctions before they occur by scheduling those tune-ups, and maintenance/inspection appointments. If problems arise suddenly, feel free to call our 24/7 emergency HVAC line for help ASAP.
During your AC system tune-up, the professional technician will clean the filter, repair any parts that are worn out. They’ll blow out the dust, refill the refrigerant, and replace blades that are damaged. Most HVAC service companies will offer you a service agreement that updates yearly. Talk to them and see what they can do for you.
Now let’s talk about what you will pay for HVAC repair or maintenance, on average. We’ll also go over some ways to troubleshoot common issues with the system on your own. Troubleshooting can eliminate certain simple solutions that don’t always require a professional, although we are happy to help in any capacity.
How Much Do HVAC Repairs Cost?
To repair a broken air conditioner, you’re looking at anywhere from $125 to $459. For a furnace repair, you can expect to pay somewhere between $125 and $355. The cost to repair a broken HVAC system all depends on what parts and/or services you may need. Here are the costs at a glance:
- AC repair: $125-$459
- Furnace repair: $125-$355
- HVAC tune-up: $135-$300
You may also need more than one visit, depending on the company’s preparedness. They won’t charge you if it’s their fault that you need that extra visit, but the nature of the problem may call for it. There’s a chance you might have to wait if the company does not have the part you need, which can be inconvenient.
Can I Do HVAC Repairs Myself?
Unless you’re a professional HVAC repair professional yourself, it’s in your best interest to hire a professional. If you attempt to open the unit and mess with the parts, your safety could be compromised. You could be electrocuted if you touch the wrong area or you could experience frostbite if your skin comes in contact with refrigerant (freon).
Experience and technical knowledge are needed to repair or install an HVAC unit/system. Not only that, but you may be required to have a city permit to do so. There’s no reason to risk breaking the law and/or suffering an injury just to save money. Those consequences could prove to be more expensive for you and your family.
Troubleshooting Tips!
While it isn’t in your best interest to try to repair or replace an HVAC system yourself, there are things you can try before you call a professional HVAC repair technician. Let’s go over a few of these troubleshooting tips so you have them on hand when grit hits the fan!
If your HVAC unit stops working, it could be due to a power outage. Check your circuit breakers and flip them to the correct position if needed. If they’re all in the right position you’ll want to try resetting the system. To do this, switch them off for a duration of 10 seconds and then switch them back on again.
Your problem may be as simple as low or dead batteries in your thermostat. This is assuming your thermostat runs on batteries. The thermostat will most likely alert you of low or dead batteries by telling you on the display. If these troubleshooting tips don’t work, give your service technician a call so they can diagnose the problem for you.
Labor Costs for HVAC Repair
You’ll be charged an initial service call fee, which usually runs anywhere between $75 and $200. Expect to pay between $75 and $100 an hour for the labor needed to fix your AC. They’ll let you know that feel right away. This fee will be stated on your final bill, so you don’t have to have it on you when they arrive.
Some companies will pay a flat rate for small, common AC repair jobs. These are always good because if the job turns out to be bigger than they expected, you’ll be protected from added costs that would have applied. Ask the AC service company about the fine print regarding this.
Emergency Services
We recommend only hiring with companies who offer 24/7 emergency services for your specific type of HVAC unit and system. The prices may increase depending on the type of day or night, or if they’re needed on a weekend. If the after-hours or weekend repairs are extensive, you could be looking at up to $600 per hour.
What Services does Schneider Mechanical Offer?
Schneider Mechanical Offers the best AC repair in Austin, Texas. We know how frustrating it can be to have HVAC issues, and how easy it can be to slip into a state of taking a working HVAC for granted. Life gets busy, so HVAC maintenance might not be on the top of your mind. We offer:
- Residential A/C & Heating
- Commercial HVAC-R
- Wine Cellar Refrigeration
We’re here to help you get it on the calendar and forget it. Count on us as your go-to AC repair team in Austin. Schneider Mechanical has the experience and expertise to keep you comfortable and healthy this season and beyond. We have 24/7 availability, so no matter what the issue, give us a ring and we’ll be there ASAP!
Schedule AC Repair Near Me!
The last thing you want is to have your AC break on you during the hottest time of the year. Schneider Mechanical is there for you 24/7, so no need to search “ac repair near me”. AC problems can pop up without warning, so leave it to the pros to keep it in working order. Stay worry-free this year and into the future by scheduling your tune-ups today!
Contact us with any questions and/or to schedule your next AC tune-up!
