An AC that ran fine all June can start to struggle in July. The heat didn't change much. The air did.
Monsoon season brings humidity, strong wind and haboobs, all at the point in the year when your system is already running hard. Here's why that matters, and what to do before the first storm.
Why monsoon season is hard on your AC
Humid air means double duty
Most of the year, your AC has one main job: cool the air. When the humidity climbs, it also has to pull water out of that air.
That extra job takes more power. It also puts more strain on the whole system, from the compressor to the coils.
Dust clogs the filter in hours
One haboob carries a huge load of fine dust, sand and debris, and your system pulls it right in. The filter is the first thing in the way, and it can clog within hours of a storm.
A clogged filter chokes the airflow. The system works harder and cools less, and the indoor coil can even freeze over. Your bill goes up, and so do the odds of a real breakdown.
Your checklist before the first storm
You can do these yourself. Each one helps the system cope, and helps you spot trouble early.
- Change the air filter. If you only do one thing on this list, make it this. Start the season with a clean filter, and check it again after any big haboob.
- Clear space around the outdoor unit. Cut back bushes, weeds and grass so there's at least two feet of room on every side, and sweep leaves and dirt away from the base. The fan needs that room to push heat out of your house.
- Check the drain line. On a humid day your AC pulls gallons of water out of the air, and it leaves through a small pipe, usually PVC. Make sure it drips freely, since a clog can back water up into the house and shut the system down.
What a tune-up adds
Those steps help, but they don't reach inside the system. On a tune-up, we do the parts you can't:
- Clean the coils. Dust on the coils works like a blanket, so the system runs longer to cool the house.
- Check the refrigerant. The wrong level hurts cooling and can damage the compressor, the heart of your AC.
- Check the electrical parts. We tighten the connections and test the capacitors and contactors, which tend to fail in the hottest months.
- Look at the ducts. Small leaks can pull dusty attic air into your rooms. If we find them, duct repair seals them.
Book HVAC maintenance at least once a year, best in spring, so the system is ready before the storms show up. If we find a worn part, you get the price before we fix anything.
Already lost your cooling to a storm? Our HVAC repair visits start by finding the real cause, then we quote the fix.