Roughly four years ago, I invested in a central air conditioner for our home.
It was a rather lavish project. I purchased a top-of-the-line cooling device in order to take advantage of high efficiency operation. I hoped that a higher SEER level would prove worth the additional cost, but the lower electric bills help to offset the initial expense. At the time of the installation, the Heating and A/C contractor made the suggestion that I enroll in a service plan with her corporation. She explained that for a small fee, they send a contractor to service the air conditioner device every Springtime. This seemed like a total waste of cash to me. I didn’t believe that a new air conditioner device would need service. I kept up with proper air filter changes and assumed the air conditioner would continue to operate at peak capacity. This past summer, I started to have severe issues with it. I observed that the cooling device was making more noise than usual, and every time it cycled on, there was a bizarre rattling noise and a slightly musty odor coming from the vents. I also needed to lower the temperature control machine by quite a few degrees because the apartment felt a bit overheated. This forced the air conditioner device to run for longer cycles, use more energy and our electric bill was costly. I finally called for professional repair. The contractor took the air conditioner device apart and found a disgusting buildup of dust, mold and all types of debris within the equipment. This accumulation was restricting airflow, polluting our indoor air quality and impacting our comfort level! Because I hadn’t kept up with professional service, the manufacturer’s warranty no longer applied. I ended up with a sizable repair bill due to the amount of labor and new parts needed.