It’s hot here in Texas this August! It’s been a hot summer in general, and you’ve probably gotten a huge amount of work out of your air conditioning system already this year. With the outdoor thermometer soaring into the red, how are you coping with it inside your home?
If your answer is “I keep turning the thermostat down lower and lower,” you’re actually wasting money and putting more stress on your air conditioning system while not receiving any better comfort. We know how tempting it is to drop the thermostat’s setting to 60°F (often the lowest setting) on a roasting hot day. But there are some serious problems with this.
The most common type of air conditioning system found in homes uses chemical refrigerant to transfer heat from inside the house to the outside. But this isn’t the only option available for a home when it comes to summertime comfort. There are also evaporative coolers, which work in a different way. 
We’re strong advocates of regular air conditioning maintenance. This is when a NATE-certified HVAC technician makes an annual visit to your house to inspect the cooling equipment, clean and lubricate parts, check refrigerant pressure, tighten electrical connections, and generally make sure that the air conditioner is in great shape for the summer weather.
You might call it Freon or maybe know it by another brand name, but the chemical refrigerant that’s inside your AC is an essential component allowing the system to do its job. Without refrigerant, your air conditioning system is nothing more than a large central house fan. Fans can help out a bit in hot weather—in fact, we recommend homeowners turn their ACs to “fan only” mode during the milder hot weather to help save energy. But if you want to endure an intense Texas summer, you’ll need an air conditioner system that actually draws heat from the air to cool it down. And for that, the AC needs refrigerant.
At this time of year, we urge all our customers to have their air conditioning system professionally maintained. It isn’t a difficult job: all it takes is calling our office to schedule a convenient time. The actual job only takes about 1 to 2 hours, and afterwards our technicians will leave you with an air conditioner that’s ready to take on the most extreme heat of the Texas summer.
An air conditioning system is a complex refrigeration device. If something goes wrong with one, it almost always needs a licensed HVAC professional to repair it. There are a few basic fixes that can be done by a homeowner, like changing an air filter, but for the most part we recommend you always call for HVAC experts when you’ve got a malfunctioning air conditioner.
The official start of summer is only a month away, but the temperatures here are already rising far into the red. You’ve probably already had your air conditioning system running to cool down your home. If you haven’t already arranged for regular spring maintenance for your AC, have it taken care of now—before your cooling system has to do any more work.