It’s always easy to tell when summer rolls around. The temperature outside soars, and so does your electricity bill. Wouldn’t it be great if a top Dallas electrician could save you money on your electric bill?
Everyone knows why your bills get so expensive; you’re running your AC almost all the time. In fact, the condenser for your air conditioning unit uses more electricity during the summer months than any other appliance in your home, even notorious energy hogs like your refrigerator. There are things an electrician can do to save you money, and electrical safety tips you need to know to protect your home, business, and loved ones from disaster.
Why You Need An Electrician When Your AC Breaks Down
These days most people call an AC service company the minute an air conditioning problem comes up. That isn’t always the correct move, though. In my experience, about half of all the problems that arise with air conditioning systems are electrical problems. Some of my best customers began using my service because I could help them figure out whether they should be calling an electrician or an HVAC technician to solve their problem. Obviously, if the problem is the AC unit or condenser, an AC repairman is the way to go, but he doesn’t necessarily understand the details of your home or business electrical system. There are a few things you should know about your air conditioner from the electrician’s point of view
- Your AC puts a very heavy load on your electrical system, especially when the unit powers itself on. This alone can lead to burnouts, which can directly damage the compressor in the AC unit. Because AC units require so much power, they are often wired directly from the breaker panel, the main location in an electrical system where connections come loose.
- Loose connections on a breaker panel can cause arc faults and high power electrical discharges that can literally melt your panel and circuit breakers in seconds. This often can cause catastrophic meltdowns.
- These loose connections can also cause burnouts on your panel, leaving you without air conditioning, power and causing you to pay for new electrical equipment.
- The best way to save you money and protect your home and AC unit is to make sure an electrician regularly inspects your breaker panel, performing maintenance as needed to keep everything working correctly.
- The seed of many electrical problems is planted when you make changes to your air conditioning system. Perhaps you’re upgrading to a higher-efficiency unit to help save money, or a recent addition to your home or office means you need a larger high-efficiency unit to handle your cooling needs. Either way, failing to think through the electricity needs of your AC unit can cause major headaches. Many homeowners (and even AC service technicians on occasion) are perfectly happy to simply swap the new larger AC unit with the old one without upgrading the wiring that connects it to your home.
- Trying to run a large AC unit on wiring intended for a smaller unit is a very good way to burn the lines, which leaves your AC out of commission until new wiring can be installed. Even worse things can happen when an AC unit is relocated.
- Sometimes, people looking to save money and time, make the decision to simply splice the AC unit wires into your existing system rather than running a new line. DON’T EVER DO THIS. It is extremely dangerous.
- You should always contact an electrician when you upgrade or make major alterations to your air conditioning system.
- Many AC system problems aren't caused by the outside unit at all, but by the Forced Air Unit (FAU) inside your home. Usually located somewhere in a closet, attic, or hallway space, the FAU moves the cold air through your house when the AC is running and is the part of the AC system that heats your home in the winter.
- The blower motor in the FAU also draws a lot of electricity, and is prone to blowouts or creating additional electrical issues.
- In fact, the FAU is responsible for at least half of all electrical problems your AC system may have.
- You should always have your FAU looked at regularly during routine electrical maintenance. Remember: just because it’s out of sight doesn’t mean it isn’t important.
These electrical safety tips should help keep you cool and safe. You can trust ElectricMan to help and get the job done right. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so don’t ever hesitate to give us a call!