When it was time to start up the air conditioner for the first time, I had some concerns with the system performance.
The air flowing from the supply vents had a musty odor.
It seemed to me that the air conditioner was providing less cool air than usual, and there was a significant amount of dust blowing around. Even the operational sound of the air conditioner was worrisome. I did some research and figured out that all of these issues were maintenance related. We hadn’t needed to run the air conditioner for nearly eight months. Dust, dander and even mold had most likely accumulated inside the system. I was worried about the spores and potential bacteria becoming airborne and getting spread into our breathing air. I knew that if the air conditioner wasn’t running at its best, I’d be spending more on my electric bills. There was also a greater potential for malfunction and even system failure. However, all of the problems could certainly be resolved through professional maintenance. I made plans to schedule service with a licensed HVAC contractor. A professional has the right tools, specialized training and experience. They know how to take the air conditioner apart, make adjustments, clean all of the various parts and optimize performance. They normally test refrigerant levels, tighten connections, lubricate moving parts, check belts and make sure the coils and filters are clean. My husband decided that he could handle the job. My husband is not overly handy. I doubted his ability to provide an air conditioner tune-up but figured it wouldn’t hurt to let him try. He devoted his entire Saturday to taking the air conditioner apart and cleaning it. When he finally put everything back together, the cooling system wouldn’t even start up. Rather than schedule maintenance, I needed to call an HVAC dealer and spend quite a bit more money on a repair.