After the Fix: What to Expect Following AC Repair Services
People often expect to have a perfectly cool home immediately after a major repair to their home comfort system – but that isn’t always the case. If your house isn’t feeling comfortable a few hours after the system is up and running, don’t reach for the phone just yet. If you’ve had significant repairs done or the system has been off for an extended period, it could take up to 24 hours to make the air in your home feel comfortable again. Here’s what happens in those 24 hours.
Humidity Control
Your home comfort system performs two important functions, temperature control and humidity control, and your home won’t be comfortable until both functions have been performed.
You want your home’s relative humidity to be between 40 and 55 percent to keep the air comfortable and prevent mold and bacteria growth. In Florida, the relative humidity level outside can often rise to 90 percent or more. If your home is without air conditioning for a period, the relative humidity in your home quickly begins to climb toward outdoor humidity levels.
While your home comfort system cools your home, it removes excess moisture from the air. Water vapor cools and condenses on your unit’s refrigerated coils. The water collects and drips onto a pan below the coils before exiting your home through your unit’s condensate line. This process takes time, especially if your home’s humidity levels are elevated, so it’s important that your system doesn’t cool your home down too quickly.
Temperature Control
How long it takes your home comfort system to cool your house depends on a few variables: including how large your home is, the capacity of your system and the temperature inside and outside your home. In most instances, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours for your home to start cooling down.
If you have an attic that isn’t properly insulated, cold air could be escaping into the attic, slowing down your home’s cooling process. Poorly insulated attics can also reach temperatures of up to 150 degrees in the summer, and that hot air can make its way into the rest of your home while you have your system back up and running.
Also, keep in mind that most home comfort systems aren’t equipped to cool your home to a temperature more than 20 degrees below the temperature outside, so make sure your expectations (and thermostat) are set realistically.
Keeping Up with Annual Maintenance
To reduce the need for AC repair, it’s important to keep up with maintenance while your system is running properly. A dirty heat pump that hasn’t been serviced in a long time works harder to heat and cool your house and thus accumulates more wear and tear over time. This could end up shortening the lifespan of your unit by several years, or at the very least, lead to frequent costly repairs.
Stay Cool with Barineau
In most cases, your home should feel more comfortable after AC repair within a few hours. It might not take the full 24 hours to cool your home completely, but if your home still isn’t comfortable the next day, there may be cause for concern.
Signing up for an annual service plan helps you save time, money and effort while keeping your HVAC system in top shape. With Barineau Heating and Air Conditioning’s Total Comfort Service Program, you’ll receive a number of cost incentives, such as no overtime charges and a discount on repairs. At $109 per year, the Blue Plan (which includes one 28-point inspection) only costs $20 more than a one-time tune-up, with benefits that quickly pay for themselves.
Time is money, which is why it’s always a great thing to make the most of yours. Save on both by signing up for the Total Comfort Service Program today or click here to speak with a home comfort specialist.
