September in Toronto is a strange time for homeowners. Though we’re one step closer to autumn and its cooler temperatures, summer’s talons are still dug deep into the city. As a result, the weather can be a bit of a mixed bag. Some days may seem like fall is just around the corner, with cool, rainy days. For the most part, however, we’ll experience some holdover from the hot and humid days of August. Caught in the liminal space between the two seasons, most of us won’t need our A/Cs, yet it’s too early to winterize them completely. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore our air conditioners — far from it!
After a long and hot summer, your A/C is under considerable pressure to perform, especially when it has another month of operation to go until it should be winterized. We recommend a late summer inspection from one of our expert technicians to make sure it can endure the last leg of the season. Our visits are especially important for those who rely on the appliance for its purification abilities. Late August and early September is the worst time for those suffering from fall allergies, as ragweed — the prime suspect — starts to release its pollen at this time. A fully operational air conditioner unit is therefore necessary to alleviate the severity of sufferers’ sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes.
An inspection will be able to identify and repair any late summer problems your air conditioner may be experiencing. Poor performance is enough to warrant a call to our offices, so don’t think you need to know the exact reason for our visit. Our air conditioner repair technicians will be able to recognize the problem; however, we’ve compiled some of the most common repairs that a late summer inspection can uncover.
Low Refrigerant
Refrigerant, or Freon as it’s otherwise known, is a liquid that cools and dehumidifies your home’s air as it moves through the unit’s coils. A small leak that started at the beginning of the summer can develop into a big problem by the end of it. Too little Freon can result in a variety of problems. Most surprisingly, it can lower the temperatures in the cooling coil as the temperatures rise in your home. You’ll see frost build-up on the coils in this case, as well as an unexpectedly high utility bill as it forces the conditioner to work harder than it has to in order to cool your home.
Reduced Air Flow
Hot, dry, and windy conditions can put your air conditioner to the test. It works hard to purify the typical summer dust, dirt, dander, and pollen before it reaches your living spaces. The air filter prevents these materials from circulating by trapping it within its fibres, so it may be clogged by the time September rolls around. Too much dirt obstructing the filter can result in reduced air flow throughout your home, affecting the appliance’s efficiency.
Burn Out
This may be a catch-all term, but a long summer of operation can put undue stress on your A/C’s compressor, fans, and motors. This kind of damage can show itself in a variety of ways, including loud noises (like mechanical grinding), short cycling (which causes your appliance to turn on and off frequently throughout the day), and an inability to keep your spaces cool.
Should you hear anything strange or have difficulty maintaining the temperatures in your home, you need one of our air conditioner repair experts to make a visit. They’ll locate the source of your appliance’s breakdown and repair it quickly, efficiently, and affordably, so you can get back to enjoying September’s weather in comfort. Give us a call for a late summer maintenance call, and remember to keep us in mind next month when you’re ready to winterize your A/C!
