3 Common AC Installation Mistakes

Posted on August 31, 2017September 8, 2017 by Vital AC Solutions | Posted in Blog

It makes sense for homeowners to seek out the cheapest AC contractor they can find. After all, AC installation gets expensive. The problem is, cheaper isn’t always better.

Oftentimes, amateurs use cheap prices to lure in more clients. Homeowners think they’re getting a great deal, but hiring inexperienced workers could mean risking quicker system breakdowns and more money down the road.

Unfortunately, on the flip side, there are also some technicians who have years of experience under their belt and they cut corners by doing things the old way. They don’t bother reeducating themselves on newer methods or technology and it ends up costing the client.

If you’re concerned your technicians are doing a careless job or are simply trying to educate yourself, here are three commonAC installation mistakes to be on the lookout for.

1. Incorrect Load Calculations

An experienced, well-trained professional would never recommend an over-sized system. Each house is unique and requires specific sizing for unit installation. True professionals have specific methods of calculating the load (cooling requirement) for your home.

They know that oversizing will cause short cycling and the compressor will turn on and off. After the extra work is done to cool your home, equipment wears down faster, has a shorter life span, is extra work, costs more on energy bills, and provides discomfort for you and your family.

This is a common rookie mistake that will require replacement.

A less common mistake that still happens is an undersized system. It won’t adequately cool your home and won’t work efficiently.

2. Refrigerant Mess Ups

Other installation mistakes stem from the refrigerant.

At the end of an installation some technicians neglect to flush the old refrigerant line set. The problem with that is you have old mineral oil, sludge, contaminants, moisture, and acid from the old set. This is potentially hazardous to your system and health.

Also, rookies tend to fill the system with too much refrigerant. It doesn’t need the extra amount as it runs on a set charge for a whole service life, but once the mistake is made it can lead to severe damage and a broken compressor.

Next, are extended refrigerant pipes. Copper pipes connect the indoor and outdoor units and makeup refrigerant lines which should be under 50 ft in length.

When the length of those pipes are overextended, the compressor doesn’t shut off which drains energy and wears the system down, and the system struggles to complete its cooling cycle.

3. Insufficient Clearance

Finally, the unit can be placed where it doesn’t have enough clearance and can’t generate the proper energy efficiency.

An AC’s outdoor condenser cabinet requires 2 feet of clearance for all sides. When this doesn’t happen the fan can’t circulate air adequately enough to cause condensation and release heat and you and your family can’t enjoy your AC.

Conclusion

AC installation is something you want done by experienced professionals. You don’t want people who’ve done the same thing 15 years, but do things the lazy, quick way to get the job done.

You also don’t want to accept rookie help just because they look like cheap solutions. What may seem affordable at the time could mean a financial drain along the way.

At Vital AC we respect your time and money. Our highest value is quality and we’d love to give that to you. We want to give you your money’s worth and take the time to educate you on the types of services you need.

We can be reached at (800) 825.2609

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