The 4 Most Expensive AC Repairs: How To Avoid Them

Avoid This Expensive AC Repairs

Modern air conditioning makes for the most comfortable of environments. You don’t fully understand or appreciate all the parts that keep your home cool until one of them malfunctions.

Then humidity, heat, and stagnant air slowly take the place of our perfectly chilled air. Frustration follows as you investigate the problems.

You call your heating and cooling service in Maryland only to discover the ac repairs will cost thousands of dollars.

Can you avoid these costly ac repairs?

Most expensive AC repairs and how to detect them and avoid them.

Coolant Leaks

A refrigerant leak repair will cost you as little as $300 and as much as $1500. The variation depends on the severity of the leak and the amount and type of refrigerant you need.

Refrigerant sits in the coils of your air conditioning until.

These coils play a major role in keeping your home comfortable, so when the refrigerant runs low, the coils do not work as they should and your condenser needs to work even harder to make your air cool.

Refrigerant does not evaporate on its own. It runs out because you have a leak somewhere in the system. These types of repairs cost a great deal of money because the technician will take a long time to find the leak.

Furthermore, refrigerant does not come cheap.

In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency began phasing out R-22, a common refrigerant used in older air conditioning units.

Eventually, you will not be able to get this refrigerant, and its rarety makes it even more expensive. You can detect an AC refrigerant leak by scheduling regular AC maintenance in Maryland, Virginia & DC.

You can also keep an eye on your energy bill. If you’ve noticed your air conditioner running more than normal while not producing cold air or if you notice your energy bill creeping up, you may have a refrigerant leak.

Faulty AC Compressor

An AC compressor repair or replacement will cost you between $1,850 and $2,800. The compressor moves refrigerant through the UVAC unit. It removes heat and humidity and cools your air.

When you have dirty coils or low refrigerant, the compressor will have to work harder. It can overheat and even break down.

An experienced AC repairman can replace the compressor or the coils in your AC, but doing so takes time, thus the high cost for this repair.

If your AC unit has an active and current warranty, you won’t have to pay as much. However, if you have an older AC unit, plan on spending a couple of thousand dollars for this repair.

You can avoid this repair ac repairs by cleaning your AC unit regularly. Regularly cleaning your coils will keep them running smoothly and prevent your condenser from working too hard and overheating.

Condenser Fan Motor

A condenser fan motor replacement can cost between $300 and $600. The condensing unit fan works on the other end of the coils, pulling air through the coils.

The compressor compresses the air while the condenser pulls it out. If you have a dirty system, your condenser fan will stop running, run slowly, make odd noises, or run inconsistently.

You will often notice problems with the condenser fan when the air conditioner sits idle for a period of time, like in the winter. The shaft and bearings in the motor can seize up due to rust when they’ve sat for a period of time.

You can avoid a broken condenser fan motor by having your air conditioning unit inspected and serviced annually. You should keep the motor clean and replace your air filters at least every 90 days.

If you live in a dusty environment, have pets, or are running your air conditioner constantly, then replace the filters every 30 days.

Evaporator Coil

Your evaporator coil is the heart of your air conditioning unit. Without it, the unit will not function properly. Even worse, if your evaporator coil malfunctions, you will need an entirely new unit.

You cannot repair or replace the evaporator coil. Leaks usually occur because of this complicated piece in your unit.

It has multiple curves, crevices, and dips, making leak detection nearly impossible. You can avoid problems with the evaporator coil by cleaning the coil regularly and having the refrigerant recharged on a schedule.

Once your refrigerant runs low, the entire air conditioning unit has to work harder. You run the risk of causing irreparable damage to your evaporator coil and unit when you run your air conditioner with low refrigerant.

Prevent AC Repairs, Schedule Maintenance

You can prevent nearly all of these expensive ac repairs and problems by having a professional ac repairs company conduct annual maintenance.

Often these bigger problems start with small issues. A professional will be able to see the small issue and then prevent the bigger problems.

Furthermore, if you have your air conditioner serviced at the beginning of the warm season, you will avoid having a broken AC in the middle of the hottest days, when the servicemen are the busiest.

You won’t have to pay for an emergency weekend call or repair, and you can rest easy on hot summer nights.

You also will enjoy lower energy bills since you will have an efficiently running air conditioner. You’ll be using less energy and ultimately saving more money with lower bills and fewer breakdowns.

When you treat your air conditioner right, you can hope for it to last up to 20 years.

Avoid the Most Expensive AC Repairs

You can save yourself thousands of dollars and avoid the most expensive AC repairs by scheduling regular maintenance.

We offer such a service. If you’re looking for an experienced and reliable home heating and air conditioning contractor, contact us.

Our team offers individuals and families in Maryland, Virginia & DC a variety of professional HVAC solutions including air conditioning and heating installation, troubleshooting, preventative maintenance, and repair.

Contact us today. We’d love to help you out.