If you are a homeowner, you are probably used to fixing things around the house when they need it. One task that many homeowners take on is their own HVAC repairs. While it may seem like a simple “DIY” job that anyone can do, there are some major risks involved in doing your own electricity, gas, and refrigerant work.
If you’ve ever experienced an air conditioning outage during a hot summer day or have battled with frozen pipes in the middle of winter, you know how important having a working heating, and cooling system is for your home comfort – along with your wallet too! That’s why making DIY repairs on your HVAC system is risky at best and downright dangerous at worst. Here are eight reasons why:
1 DIY Repairs Are Dangerous
HVAC repairs should only be done by professionals who are qualified to work with gas, electricity, and refrigerant. HVAC systems contain dangerous gasses like Freon (R-22), carbon monoxide, methane, propane, and butane that sometimes leak even when the system is turned off. If you light these gasses on fire or send them into your living space instead of venting them outside, they can kill you! The same goes for exposed electrical wires – if touched by an untrained person could cause electrocution or fire.
2 DIY Repairs Can Cause Serious Injury
HVAC repairs involve heavy machineries like furnaces, compressors, and air handlers. When not handled properly (or when too much strain is placed on them), it can cause severe injury or even death. Additionally, working around electrical cords and wires can result in electrical shock if you come into contact with a “live wire” that has an insufficiently low voltage. Even small electric shocks can be fatal!
3 DIY Repairs Don’t Guarantee Efficiency
To save yourself money in the long run, it is best to have regular maintenance performed on your heating and cooling systems instead of hoping that DIY fixes will keep your system running smoothly. While many homeowners don’t want or can’t afford to pay for annual maintenance checks (and feel like they’re throwing money away), nothing lasts forever. Even if HVAC repairs are done correctly, parts may wear down and need to be replaced after several years. This is not only bad for your wallet, but more importantly, can cause inefficiency or even system malfunctions – which leads us to our next reason why DIY repairs are dangerous.
4 DIY Repairs Can Result in Damaging Your Unit
The longer you go without regular HVAC maintenance or repairs, the worse your system runs and the shorter its lifespan becomes. If left unchecked, this could lead to additional problems that affect the life of your unit. Additionally, some systems have “light-start” components (like capacitors) that give off excessive electrical charges when faulty – these charges could shock anyone coming into contact with them while working on a system.
5 DIY Repairs Are Not Guaranteed To Work
When you finally do have a professional perform HVAC repairs, they may find problems that you can’t see or even fix them completely. In fact, the only way to solve an issue is to replace certain parts of your system. This means it’s better to have regular maintenance done on your unit by a qualified technician, so smaller issues don’t turn into significant replacements!
6 DIY Repairs Can Damage Your Unit
There’s a huge difference between trying to save money and being reckless with something as valuable as a proper heating and cooling system for your home. Of course, you want your HVAC repair bill to be as low as possible, but rushing through the job or using sub-par materials/equipment will not end well. If you do not invest in high-quality parts or hire a reputable technician, the problems will only get worse (and your repair bill might balloon up).
7 DIY Repairs Are Time Consuming
Even HVAC mistakes that seem minor could pose major problems down the line. For example, improperly sealing ventilation ducts can allow rodents to enter your home and chew through wires, insulation, and exterior structures of your unit – if this happens while you’re away, it could be very expensive to fix! Regular maintenance is one of the easiest ways to prevent problems before they happen – if done on schedule every year by a trained professional, it only takes about an hour or two for them to check out your system and perform minor repairs.
8 DIY Repairs Could Void Your Warranty
One of the scariest things that can happen to a homeowner is when their warranty is suddenly voided because they tried to perform HVAC repairs themselves and caused damage. Many homeowners don’t know that A/C and furnace warranties are not usually transferable – meaning, you are responsible for all equipment issues should you sell your home! While heating and cooling systems are one of the most expensive items in your house to replace, regular maintenance can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repair bills over time by having them fixed before they become major problems.
The Risks of Not Having Regular HVAC Maintenance
1 Your System May Break Down
Many homeowners go without annual maintenance because they think it’s easier (or cheaper) to just fix things as they come up. But the truth is not having regular HVAC repairs done can cause major issues down the line because problems tend to snowball into larger ones. Replacing or repairing parts that are already worn down will be much more expensive than getting them checked for potential problems once a year by your technician.
2 Your Energy Bills Will Skyrocket
Your heating and cooling system makes up about 50% of your energy bills – so when it breaks down, you could literally be losing thousands of dollars in wasted energy/gas! Plus, many systems aren’t running at their peak efficiency until they’ve been serviced – which could make a huge difference in how much gas your unit uses.
3 Unintentional Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Without proper ventilation, an HVAC system can cause backdraft and produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. In fact, unintentional CO poisoning has become one of the leading causes of accidental death in America today. Regular maintenance checks from a trained technician will ensure your system is ventilating properly to keep you safe!
Contact Austin AC for Your HVAC Needs
When it comes to your heating and cooling system, you can never be too careful. Because there are so many dangers associated with HVAC repair work, the professionals at Austin AC recommend that homeowners let us handle all of their maintenance needs. We offer our customers incredibly affordable rates, flexible scheduling options, warranties on all new equipment installed, and 100% satisfaction guaranteed!