Climate control is one of those recent inventions in modern times that people neglect to think about until something has gone terribly wrong with it. A homeowner might never notice that their air conditioning and heating unit isn’t working properly if the weather is pleasant. Living in places like Fallbrook, Corona, Temecula, and Winchester might carry with them a majority of beautiful days but not without heat. Living in Riverside County, where the temperatures can range between 40 and 110 degrees within a twelve-hour period, it is very important to continue to maintain and inspect any HVAC system. While previous blog postings here have focused on simple repair and maintenance that the homeowner can do themselves, today we’ll be focusing on things that need to be avoided and left to the experts at We Care Plumbing, Heating, & Air.

There is an assumption that one AC Repair company is just as good as another. This is a misnomer and false. While many companies can spend a great deal of money on advertising and visibility to the public it is very difficult for a company to completely control its reputation. Finding out about bad experiences ahead of time prevents you from having one yourself.

Another pitfall to be wary of is to inspect the license number of the contractor you are interested in hiring. Make sure they are up to date and haven’t been revoked by the state for violations. Many companies will not have licensed technicians. This does not guarantee that they have the skills or experience to repair your furnace or central heating and air unit properly or even to identify what is wrong with it. Without a license, the technician is unable to ensure their work should damage occur from their repair. With a licensed technician on the problem, their work is guaranteed by their experience and training. The old saying “you get what you pay for,” is never truer than hiring the wrong person to repair a very expensive piece of equipment.

Some homeowners might try to install their own thermostats to save a dollar. While this might look like an easy repair, without knowledge of electrical systems, it is very possible to either electrocute yourself or short out the board, ending up with a minimum cost of $500 or more for the replacement and repair. Generally, if it requires a screwdriver to get at and it is involved with your AC unit, don’t touch it without a licensed technician looking at it first. The five dollars you are able to save now might equal thousands later if something was poorly done.

Some more frugal people might consider repairing their residential units themselves using online how-to websites. This is not recommended due to the danger. Indoor air quality is one of those invisible tools we all enjoy. Because it’s so common, people assume it’s easy and it’s not. Climate control units contain highly dangerous chemicals such as freon. With mishandling, freon can leak into the atmosphere and eventually cause thinning of the ozone layer. This chemical can also flash-freeze skin and tissue, something called a “cold burn,” requiring immediate medical attention, especially if inhaled. It is illegal to add freon to an AC unit unless the person adding the freon is a certified refrigerator by the EPA (epa.gov) to work on residential heating and cooling systems. All of We Care Plumbing, Heating, & Air’s technicians are licensed refrigerator mechanics so let them handle the dangerous work and you enjoy the cool air.

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