Air Conditioning Repair and Replacement: How to Save the Most Money

Homeowners don't spend a lot of time thinking about air conditioning repair until the time comes to flip that switch and... nothing happens. Unfortunately, by that time you are in an emergency situation and there is not any time to worry about how you are going to save money on the fix up costs. The most important thing is getting that cold air blowing again. A hot house is a bad environment for making good decisions. Of course, the best way to save money on your HVAC system is to take care of it consistently from day one. Here are some other tips that will keep your money where it belongs.

Get a Warranty

If you are dealing with an air conditioning repair company, try to get a warranty on both the parts and the labor. This is especially true if you are purchasing a brand new system. You never know when something will go wrong and you want to be covered in case such an event happens. You won't be confident for at least a year that your system is going to stand the test of time. Since this is the case, it makes sense to be protected during that time.

Change Your Filter

If you think air conditioning repair and maintenance only need to be done when something goes wrong, you need to think again. Changing your filter on a regular basis is a basic part of maintaining an HVAC system and it should be in the repertoire of any homeowner. If it has been more than a couple of months since you changed out your filter, it is time to do so. When you do, note the amount of dust and dirt clogging the screen and use it as a benchmark for how often you should perform this simple act of maintenance in the future.

Turn It Up

If you are leaving the house, you should turn your thermostat up, since there is no point in keeping a house cold when no one will be around to enjoy it. Of course, some homeowners go too far with this line of reasoning and turn their units all the way off when leaving. This is usually a mistake. Your system has to work very hard to then bring the atmosphere back down to your preferred temperature when you arrive back home. This period of hard work could be canceling out (at least) the benefits of leaving it off. It is also putting a great deal of strain on the system and could lead to the need for air conditioning repair sooner than you would have otherwise hoped.