When air conditioning installation goes wrong, who’s to blame? Of course it’s the contractor, who’s in charge of providing a certain level of service (and leaving the homeowners with a functional A/C system), but it’s also the responsibility of the homeowners to ensure they hire a reputable air conditioning installation and repair company.
All aspects of an HVAC system are an investment, and a shoddy installation can ruin a brand-new system before you even get to enjoy it. Sometimes the signs of a bad installation are obvious (like a strong smell, loud noise or simply a system that doesn’t work). Other times homeowners don’t realize something’s awry until a reputable, honest installer tells them so during a routine call.
Since so many air conditioner makes and models are on the market, an installation can easily go off course. If the installer doesn’t use a supply duct that’s the right size and fit, it can cause airflow problems and waste energy. Many A/C models today use a ducted system, which means the tech needs to match the supply duct to the rest of the system. Here are a few more ways air conditioning installation can go in the wrong direction:
Common Mistakes in Air Conditioning Installation
- Subpar check valves: Check valves, even new, can get wonky if they’re put on used cases in the wrong place. It can make hot gas stick around post-defrost, which means the system slows down. In some cases, it can take hours after a defrost just to get enough liquid to fill up the compressors correctly. This will make your A/C work overtime unnecessarily.
- Suction lines gone wild: Various situations can cause leaks, and one of them is a suction line split. This most often happens when the piping is cheap (it should be able to withstand high demands). Signs that the suction line might be the problem include low airflow in the heat pump and previous issues with valve wiring.
- Filter door blockage: This is one of the easiest situations to avoid, and unfortunately one of the most common. If the filter area/doors/vents aren’t allowed to “breathe,” they can’t do their job. That’s why you should never block A/C vents with furniture, drapes and the like. Just like you, your air conditioner could use some fresh air.
- No filter changes: All HVAC systems have a filter that needs replacing on a regular basis. During installation, your technician should show you where filters are and recommend how often they’re changed. A new system can go kaput in just a few months if filter swaps aren’t done.
A quality air conditioning installation technician should help educate homeowners if they’re open to it. After all, this is a complex and expensive system.
Call Complete Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule an air conditioning installation, repair or inspection and keep your cool this summer.