The summer’s almost here, and that means some blistering hot days ahead. Do you trust that your home’s current air conditioning system will make it through the heat and get to the fall without suffering a major malfunction? If you’re not sure, or if your AC is older than 15 years, now is an ideal time to arrange for a new installation to replace it.
It’s vital that you only call on experienced HVAC professionals to handle the installation job. Don’t let the promises of low costs from amateurs lure you! There are too many risks involved in having non-professionals try to install something as complicated as a central air conditioning system. Below are 4 mistakes that amateurs often make:
- Overlong refrigerant pipes: The pipes that connect the indoor and outdoor units of a central AC should be kept short. If an inexperienced installer puts in pipes that are too long, it will make it difficult for the air conditioner to complete the cooling cycle. This will lead to a compressor that runs continually, draining energy and rapidly wearing itself down.
- Too much refrigerant: At the end of installation, the technician must fill the system with refrigerant (i.e. “Freon”). An AC uses a specific amount of refrigerant, and if the technicians puts in too much, it can wreck the entire system.
- Not enough clearance: The outside condenser cabinet of an AC needs to have about 2 feet clear on all sides. This allows the fan to properly circulate air to cause condensation and the release of heat. If this unit is placed where it lacks sufficient clearance, the air conditioner will lose energy efficiency.
- Too large/too small: Professionals use a special set of calculations to determine how powerful an air conditioning system need to be properly cool a house—without being too large that it continually cycles off and starts to deteriorate. You don’t want a non-professional to give you an undersized or oversized AC.