The last thing you want to break down when temperatures reach triple digits is your air conditioning unit. A Kansas City repairman says the one thing most people don’t think of that could lead to your unit’s demise is your pet.
“If you have a dog who’s been chewing on your copper line,” said F&H Heating and Cooling owner Faris Haha.
Even more of an issue than you’re A/C unit being a chew toy is when it turns into a pee patch.
“Your dog goes, ‘It’s warm.’ It will pee on it, and that actually does cause a problem where there, I’m sorry to say this, their pee has acid. That will eat the aluminum coil,” said Haha.
Save money by working ahead
To repair a condenser motor, Haha charges anywhere from $250 to $300. To keep that charge at bay, Haha says keep debris away from the unit and replace your air filter every 30 days.
“You can save a lot of bucks if you keep your unit clean and replace your air filter inside the house,” said Haha.
You don't need to replace coolant
A common myth is that Freon inside an A/C unit needs to be replaced every so often like oil in your car.
“No, no, you don’t have to change it at all. It’s going to stay in your system,” said Faris. “You’ll never have any problem with it for the next 100 years unless you have a leak inside the system.”
Faris says a leak can come from weed-whacking or mowing too close to the unit, causing a dent or a puncture in the unit.
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Brian Abel can be reached at brian.abel@kshb.com.
