Air Conditioner Maintenance Can Save You Money and Help Protect Your Whole Family!

Although it seems counterintuitive to think that spending money on air conditioner maintenance can actually SAVE you money in the long run, but we’re here to tell you that it absolutely can!

And we have YEARS of experience to back us up on this as well. After working in the HVAC industry for over 64 years, there’s a few things we’ve picked up on - namely the common need for air conditioner repair!

But we’ve seen a massive decline in air conditioner repair needs when the proper AC preventative maintenance is put in place. 

Whether you’ve lived in the same house for years or just recently became a homeowner, it’s common to not know when the last time your cooling unit had a check-up. For most homeowners, the need for a check-up only occurs when their AC is in dire need of a tune-up! This, however, could cause a very expensive air conditioner repair bill or even the need to replace your air conditioner all together. 

At Campeau Heating in Sudbury, we always encourage our homeowners to have a routine preventative maintenance appointment scheduled for their air conditioner. Not only can this save them money on tune-ups, repairs and replacements, but it will also save their summer!

Nobody wants to spend the hot and humid days of summer cooped up in an un-airconditioned home! Read on to learn how you can stay cool this summer and save money in the process. 

4 Dangerous Hazards of an Unmaintained Air Conditioner

Like we said, after this many years of hands-on HVAC experience, you start to see some trends. One of the most dangerous trends that we’ve witnessed are age-old AC units that haven’t been properly maintained. They’re usually found buried in a garden, hidden beneath the porch or even intombed in giant leaf piles. 

The worst part however isn’t the outdoor unit - the indoor unit of the air conditioner is where the real dangers lie. 

Although an air conditioner can break in any multitude of ways, there are four extreme hazards that should be addressed when discussing the need for preventative air conditioner maintenance. 

1. The Risk Of Home Fires

Did you know that, each year, more than 24,000 homes experience a house fire in Canada? Within these 24,000 homes, there have been nearly 400 fatalities. 

House fires are not inevitable. But they are a risk. A risk that can be greatly reduced if the proper preventative measures are put in place. 

Instead of wasting hours of your summer spending your hard-earned cash on an expensive air conditioner repair (or multiple repairs), consider scheduling preventative maintenance check-ups on your appliances. This can help save you, your wallet and your house!

2. Sudden AC Outages 

Picture this - it’s a hot, humid summer day in Ontario and you’re planning on staying inside your cool home to prevent heat stroke, over exhaustion or other serious health risks.

Suddenly, during the peak of humidity on your relaxing summer day, your cooling unit quits!

If this were early spring or even the fall-time, this wouldn’t be an issue. But during the hottest days of the year - it has now become your main concern!

Why? 

Because a sudden AC outage can mean more than just a run to the grocery store for popsicles. It can mean severe nausea, fatigue, low blood pressure, heavy sweating and even faintness. It can also cause loss of consciousness, diarrhea and mental dullness in your pets!

If the year 2020 has taught us anything, it is to prepare for the unexpected - and that includes an unexpected air conditioner outage! 

3. Toxic Indoor Air 

Toxic indoor air - the unpopular, but oh so important topic that most homeowners don’t bother to think about…”what you don’t see can’t hurt you”. 

Except toxic indoor air quality can hurt you, your family and your pets!

One of the most common ways that your indoor air becomes polluted is through a dirty air filter. A small piece of equipment that’s easy to replace, yet also very easy to forget about...

4. Chemical and/or Water Leaks

One of the reasons that we recommend professional air conditioner maintenance is because of the chemical used to aid in the cooling process - refrigerant (coolant). This toxic chemical is incredibly dangerous and must be handled by a professional. If this chemical begins to leak it could cause serious indoor air problems!

How Can Air Conditioner Maintenance Save You Money?

1. No More MAJOR Air Conditioner Repair Bills!

Did you know that the average cost of an air conditioner repair in Canada is just over $400? The average cost of preventative air conditioner maintenance service, however, is only around $150! 

That means you can save around $250 by simply scheduling a check-up appointment!

2. Reduce Your Monthly Energy Bills 

When your air conditioner is properly serviced, both its function and efficiency improve. According to Energy Star, a simple air filter replacement can increase the efficiency of your cooling unit by 15%!

3. Improve Your Health 

As we’ve mentioned, poor AC maintenance can lead to very poor indoor air quality. And we can all agree that we’ve missed out on far too much of our lives already in 2020-2021. Adding more sick days to the mix of pandemic lockdowns is just not an idealistic option for anyone.

That’s why we encourage homeowners to have their cooling unit properly serviced and cleaned regularly!

4. Increase the Lifespan Of Your Cooling Unit

If you want something to last, you have to take care of it. That’s just a matter of fact. 

So how come caring for our AC units is not higher on our priority list?

With the proper care, your air conditioner is supposed to last up to 10 years, however with a lack of maintenance and frequent drastic repairs, you’re looking at a very expensive 5 year cooling solution!

Avoid having to buy a new AC unit before your current unit is ready to be replaced by maintaining the unit you have!

Save Money With Proper Air Conditioner Maintenance From Campeau Heating in Sudbury 

At Campeau Heating, we’ve seen it all - from broken capacitors to refrigerant leaks, thermostat malfunctions to clogged filters and, worse, a totally busted AC unit! Most of these problems, however, could have easily been prevented with regular air conditioner maintenance. 

If you’re looking for a stress-free and enjoyable summer this year, consider the benefits of having your AC unit serviced BEFORE a problem arises! Give us a call at (705) 560-2441 or schedule an HVAC maintenance appointment online with our team today so you can start saving your summer plans!

What To Do When Your Air Conditioner Stops Working In The Middle of Summer

Right when you were just about to kick back and enjoy the summer afternoon from the comfort of your air conditioned home, your cooling unit decides to suddenly quit! Leaving you without temperature control, humidity control and increased stress levels. 

Nobody wants their air conditioner to conk out right in the middle of the hottest months of the year. With more and more companies switching to home offices and those summer heat waves waiting to spring on unsuspecting Canadians, this is probably the worst time for your air conditioner to die! But don’t worry, at Campeau Heating, we understand this stress very well!

During the summer months, emergency calls for a broken cooling unit are all too common! In fact, we’ve had quite a few of those unsuspecting homeowners in Sudbury, Ontario, call us with an HVAC emergency.

Depending on the make and model of your air conditioner, as well as its age and maintenance history, this could be a call you’ll be making soon as well. Whether you have central air conditioning, a split air conditioner or the best ductless AC in the region - proper air conditioner upkeep is a given in order to keep your cooling system functioning properly.

In this article, we want to give you the tools and knowledge you need to know what to do when your air conditioner breaks down. The hope is that these tips will help you stay calm and relaxed as you navigate the solution and get your home AC back up and running.

Has your air conditioner already conked out for the summer? Contact our air conditioning technicians at Campea Heating for AC repair or for a replacement cooling unit. 

What You Should Do When Your Air Conditioner Breaks 

Similar to how you would act if the hydro went out in your home during the winter, the first step is to try and maintain the temperature of your home and conserve the energy that was used to get it to that point. 

For example, if the hydro went out in the middle of winter, you would do your best to conserve the heat in the most central part of your home. By ensuring that your home is properly sealed up, the heat is able to stay INSIDE while the cold air remains OUTSIDE. 

When your air conditioner breaks down in the middle of summer, you want to keep the cool air inside and the hot air outside. So, the first step in accomplishing this is to conserve all the cool air that your air conditioner worked so hard to bring in - here’s how to do that!

1. Close your windows and shut the curtains. If you don’t have curtains, try putting a towel or blanket over the window to block out those UV rays. 

2. Close the doors to the rooms you don’t need cooled and try to centralize your family’s activities to one room. It’s best if this room is naturally the coolest area of your home.

3. Increase air circulation by running your ceiling fans. A “cool” trick is to put a bowl of ice in front of a floor fan so that it begins to blow cold air back into your room - voila, makeshift air conditioner!

4. Wear “cool” clothes! Fabrics that allow your skin to breathe are a necessity during a heat wave or AC outage.

5. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. 

Not sure what the negative health effects of a heat wave are? CLICK HERE. 

How To Get Your Cooling Unit Running Again

Now that your family is staying cool and comfortable, the next step is to find out WHY your air conditioner broke. 

It’s important that you understand exactly why your air conditioner stopped working in order to know exactly how to fix it. Or whether it’s even fixable at all.

If you have a professional HVAC background, this is where you can put your skills to use in troubleshooting the issue. However, if you aren't professionally trained to handle HVAC equipment, we recommend calling our Campeau Heating HVAC maintenance crew. 

We can assess the situation, make recommendations as per the next steps and even get started on the solution so that you can get back to enjoying your summer!

Why Did My Air Conditioner Break?

After we’ve assessed your broken air conditioner, we’ll normally come up with one of the following causes (unless it’s something more serious):

1. The circuit breaker has been tripped. 

Is your circuit breaker responsible for powering the majority of your home appliances? If so, chances are it has been tripped.

2. A fuse has been blown.

If you check your home’s fuse box, you can normally see whether a fuse has been blown or not. You can also use a multimeter to run a continuity test!

3. The air filter is clogged.

If your air filters are clogged, air is not able to flow properly through your cooling unit - causing your AC coils to freeze over! 

4. The outdoor condenser is clogged. 

The outdoor portion of your air conditioner collects quite a bit of unwanted debris (ie. bird nests, mud, leaves). This can cause breakage within your cooling unit and prevent it from running.

5. The AC capacitor has died. 

Your AC capacitor is what powers your motor. It’s the tool that keeps the airflow moving through your air conditioner! If your AC capacitor has quit, the unit can no longer run - goodbye air conditioning!

Should You Replace Your Air Conditioner Or Call For AC Repairs?

Knowing whether your air conditioner is repairable or not can be difficult - especially if you don’t have professional HVAC experience. 

If you’re not sure what steps need to be taken to get your cooling unit back up and running, or whether you need to replace your system entirely, contact our HVAC technicians! We can help assess the damages and make recommendations on your next steps.

Did you know that proper air conditioner maintenance can save you money? Once you have repaired or replaced your cooling unit, consider scheduling regular maintenance appointments with our HVAC technicians in order to prevent the same unexpected outage in the future! We’ll check your air filters, fan motors, refrigerant level, drain lines and more. 

Contact Campeau Heating in Sudbury, Ontario 

Summer is short and sweet in Ontario and we want you to enjoy every minute of it! If you’re concerned about your air conditioner or you’ve experienced an air conditioner outage, contact our experienced HVAC team today! 

Give us a call at (705) 560-2441 or visit us online to schedule an HVAC maintenance appointment!