Air Conditioners

One of the most common air conditioning problems is improper operation. If your air conditioner is on, be sure to close your home's windows and outside doors. For room air conditioners, isolate the room or a group of connected rooms as much as possible from the rest of your home.

Other common problems with existing air conditioners result from faulty installation, poor service procedures, and inadequate maintenance. Improper installation of a central air conditioner can result in leaky ducts and low airflow. Many times, the refrigerant charge (the amount of refrigerant in the system) does not match the manufacturer's specifications. If proper refrigerant charging is not performed during installation, the performance and efficiency of the unit is impaired. Unqualified service technicians often fail to find refrigerant charging problems or even worsen existing problems by adding refrigerant to a system that is already full. Learn what to ask for when hiring a technician to maintain your air conditioner.

Air conditioner manufacturers generally make rugged, high quality products. If your air conditioner fails, begin by checking any fuses or circuit breakers. Let the unit cool down for about five minutes before resetting any breakers. If a central air conditioner's compressor stops on a hot day, the high-pressure limit switch may have tripped; reset it by pushing the button, located in the compressor's access panel.

REFRIGERANT LEAKS

If your air conditioner is low on refrigerant, either it was undercharged at installation or it leaks. If it leaks, simply adding refrigerant is not a solution. A trained technician should fix any leak, test the repair, and then charge the system with the correct amount of refrigerant. Remember that the performance and efficiency of your air conditioner is greatest when the refrigerant charge exactly matches the manufacturer's specification, and is neither undercharged nor overcharged. Refrigerant leaks can also be harmful to the environment.

INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE

If you allow filters and air conditioning coils to become dirty, the air conditioner will not work properly, and the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely.

ELECTRIC CONTROL FAILURE

The compressor and fan controls can wear out, especially when the air conditioner turns on and off frequently, as is common when a system is oversized. Because corrosion of wire and terminals is also a problem in many systems, electrical connections and contacts should be checked during a professional service call.

SENSOR PROBLEMS

Room air conditioners feature a thermostat sensor, located behind the control panel, which measures the temperature of air coming into the evaporative coil. If the sensor is knocked out of position, the air conditioner could cycle constantly or behave erratically. The sensor should be near the coil but not touching it; adjust its position by carefully bending the wire that holds it in place.

DRAINAGE PROBLEMS

When it's humid outside, check the condensate drain to make sure it isn't clogged and is draining properly. Room air conditioners may not drain properly if not mounted level.

Home Inspection Tips

There are some home maintenance and repair issues that, given a choice, most property owners are likely to procrastinate, whether because they take time, cost money, or just don't seem all that urgent.

If it's not an entirely apparent or nagging issue, it might take some time to be addressed. But some of the most serious problems hide masked behind a beautiful facade and could turn any dream home into a nightmare on Elm Street.

The following are some top structural and mechanical time bombs that experts say have the potential to blow up in order to spot and squelch them in a own home, before the big boom.

Foundation

A small crack in the brick veneer on the exterior of their home is no big deal, right? Not always. What looks like it can be solved with a cosmetic fix can sometimes indicate a deeper problem with moving foundation.

Hire a structural engineer immediately to evaluate a home's foundation. If caught early, a repair might only cost a few thousand, but if it's too late homeowners are looking at one of the most expensive home repair jobs possible with a whopping $50,000 price tag.

Roof

A roof can appear completely fine from the front while still crumbling elsewhere. That's why most people end up making the tragic mistake of waiting until they see water leaking through the ceiling to identify roofing issues.

Water usually enters the attic first, so regularly inspect for stains around the chimney and vents. To be on the safe side, have a roof inspected every five years.

Septic system

Many rural homeowners rely on septic tanks for their sewage systems, which operate by breaking down solids and liquefying them. That liquid then goes out into the lines and is dispersed into the surrounding ground.

While extremely useful, these tanks are also highly susceptible to clogs from other materials, like cigarette butts and food waste. Save the cost of digging up the yard to repair the whole system and opt for a cheaper maintenance alternative: regularly pumping the tank every three-to-five years, checking for signs of clogs and leaks routinely between inspections

Old electrical system

Homes built prior to World War II didn't have to meet the same requirements for power that are now a standard in home construction of recent years. With all of this generation's high-tech amenities, older wiring just can't handle today's electrical demands.

Sockets and switches can wear out, breakers grow less reliable as they age and heavy use of extension cords could lead to a fire. Squelch worry about these larger problems with a thorough electrical system inspection every 20 years. If a home doesn't meet the code, people will want to replace the entire electrical system to avoid a major fire hazard.

Crawl space

When it comes to maintenance and repair, the out-of-the-way and untraveled crawl space is one of the most overlooked areas of the home. But because the crawl space is like the window into the belly of a home, it could also hold the key to revealing any number of problems before they get bigger and expand to other areas: weakening floors, termite damage, and even issues with heating and cooling ducts.

Grab a flashlight and routinely take a peek at this so-often storage spot; even call in a home inspector, if looking for a second opinion.

Furnace, HVAC unit

When someone's heating goes, the only real fix it is to replace the furnace, which will cost upwards of $6,000. But keep up maintenance on a current unit about every six months and they won't need to break into emergency savings.

Hire an HVAC professional to come and inspect everything to make sure the system is running smoothly. Another easy way to improve air quality, efficiency and extend the life of a unit is to replace the filter at least every 90 days, or less, if people have allergies or pets.

Deck

Building a deck is sure to boost the value to a home, but if homeowners don't keep up with maintenance, their piece of curb appeal could unexpectedly fall apart.

While deck maintenance runs roughly $100 a year, the average cost of replacing it from the ground up is closer to $10,000. Save big bucks by simply keeping it clean, re-securing any nails, and reapplying sealant as needed.

A full inspection at least once a year will help people determine what work looks necessary and catch any early signs of rot.

                  Good information from The American Society of Home Inspectors