It’s technically the end of summer, so doesn’t that mean we should be firing up our heaters and breaking out the hot chocolate? Well, not quite… Texas has a few more weeks to go before temperatures really start dropping.
But that means now’s a great time to take a look at your air conditioner and have it tuned up if needed. Better to look at it now than to find out next year, just before summer, that you desperately need a repair.
Before you shut off your AC for the season, make sure it isn’t suffering from one of the silent issues listed below.
We know, we know. Temperatures are still pretty warm out there. Many homeowners are still, undoubtedly, running their home cooling systems. Yet here we are introducing a heating topic already. What gives?
We get it—we do not really give our electrical system all that much attention. Electricity is a very, very normal part of our everyday lives, and it gets easier and easier to overlook anything’s importance the more accustomed we become to its benefits. Just because your electrical system is functional, however, does not mean that is optimal. That is why we are happy to offer a number of different electrical services that can help you to upgrade your existing system.
If you peruse online articles regarding the protection of residential plumbing systems, you’ll probably notice that there is a seasonal shift in focus once the winter months begin to approach. “How to Keep Pipes from Bursting this Winter,” “Preventing Frozen Pipes,” and so on. However, we here in Texas deal with more extreme summer heat than we do winter cold. That is why we’re reclaiming the seasonal plumbing topics for ourselves, and putting a hot-weather spin on them!
As long as your air conditioner is up and running, you may think that everything is hunky dory. Hey, as long as it’s pumping out that sweet, sweet cool air, right. What? That sound? No, it hasn’t always been doing that, but I’m not too worried. After all, it’s still up and running. So no big deal, right?
When you think of the summer in Texas, you think of heat. That makes sense—it’s hot out there! So, most homeowners place a major focus on keeping their homes cool and comfortable during the summer season. This is, of course, very important. If you think that this is all it takes to live comfortably in your home throughout the summer season, however, think again. Indoor air quality is also very important, and it is a year-round concern.
We service a pretty heat pump-heavy market in this area, which makes a lot of sense. Our winter weather is quite mild and generally quite manageable for the heat pump’s method of heating (meaning the transfer of heat through a refrigerant cycle). While we do deal with many dual-fuel systems that incorporate propane into the equation, there are plenty of homeowners out there that are solely dependent upon their heat pumps for year-round comfort.
When it comes to air quality, most people in the Texas Hill Country keep a close eye on exterior mold, pollen, cedar, and ragweed levels. 
So you’ve noticed that your AC system is performing poorly and you go outside to have a look. What you can see without removing any access panels is a big buildup of ice and frost on the copper lines that come out of the unit – not a favorable sight indeed. In extreme cases, there may be a big block of ice that’s formed, preventing the system from working properly. The good news is that an iced-over, frozen-up AC system is pretty simple to address. 
