Saving money is important when you’re experiencing layoffs, higher utility bills, rising grocery costs, and increased gas or diesel prices. But, there are things you shouldn’t cut corners on. Florida professional AC repairs are one of them. When you try to DIY your own repairs, it can cost you far more than you planned.

Don’t risk it. Skip the DIY repairs and hire a professional. You might be surprised by how much more affordable AC repairs are than you might think. Here are the leading reasons why it never pays to attempt to fix your AC yourself.

 You May Further Damage Your Unit

Your AC is making an unusual noise. You turn off the power, take off the casing, and start exploring what could be wrong. You have instructional videos going on your phone and are troubleshooting. You think you’ve made the fix. Put everything back together, but you have a piece remaining and you can’t figure out where it goes. It happens more than you might realize. You now have to call an AC technician who has to fix the damage you’ve done and make the correct repair.

Or, you try to fix it, and now it won’t work at all. It’s clear you’ve done something to it. You call an AC specialist and learn you broke an important component. Not only do you have to pay for the repair that you tried to do, but other parts need repairs now. You’re spending more money than you would if you had just called a technician in the first place. 

Your Home Becomes Uncomfortable

You should also consider how long it will take you to try to complete the repair, as those hours it takes you will have your AC system out of order for the duration. You have never attempted this before. What takes an AC specialist an hour to do could take you four or more hours. If you don’t fix it correctly, you could be without AC for a day or be forced to pay emergency repair fees.

Meanwhile, everyone in your home is getting hot and cranky. They’re going to be upset with you for not hiring a professional in the first place. Plus, if anyone has a health issue that is triggered by heat and humidity (asthma is a good example), you’re putting their health at risk.

You Don’t Have the Right Equipment

Likely, you don’t have the right equipment to repair your AC unit without going to a specialty store to get what you need. You have screwdrivers, wrenches, and basic tools like that, but what about gauges, leak detectors, and vacuums? If you can’t test the pressure in your system once you finish the necessary repair, you could cause severe damage.

You decide to do the repair yourself and invest in the equipment you need. A starter HVAC tool kit is usually well over $500. Is it worth that money when it’s a set you may only use once every few years? Probably not. It’s cheaper and wiser to call a technician who has the insight and skills you need.

You Lack Know-How

Equipment is a big part of it, but you also need knowledge and training regarding HVAC repairs. Environmental protections are in place to prevent coolant leaks. If you create a leak, the clean-up can be costly. You also run the risk of injuring yourself during a repair. If you haven’t completely shut off power or connected electrical wiring correctly, you could electrocute yourself or increase the fire risk. And, insurance may not cover damages caused by repairs you completed without HVAC knowledge.

Think of it this way. You fall and dislocate your knee. Would you even consider fixing the joint yourself, or would you want a doctor with the skill and experience to do this? The same should be true with your AC system. Hire an expert to diagnose and fix your system to ensure it provides the best performance possible.

Professional AC Repairs Protect Your Warranty

How much of your system’s warranty is left? If you try a DIY repair, you risk voiding your warranty. That’s a lot of money you could be losing out on. If you had a year left, you now have a year to pay for any necessary repairs, and some repairs are costly. If fixing something yourself saved you $150, but you have to pay for an $800 repair a month from now that would have been covered, you haven’t saved money.

Plus, if the repair you made was still covered, you could have had the repair made by a professional Florida air conditioning technician and had the cost covered by your AC system’s warranty.

When you purchase a new central air system from All Year Cooling, a 10-year extended parts and labor warranty is available. If you purchase a new system during the end-of-season sale, the 10-year extended warranty is included in the price. Repairs and labor are covered for a full decade. That alone will save a lot of money.

You Can Qualify For Tax Incentives or Rebates

The final reason to purchase a system from a professional Florida AC repair company is that you’ll qualify for federal tax incentives. The incentives are available on new AC systems or on energy-efficient pumps. You get money back by having repairs or replacements completed by a professional.

There are also several Florida rebates on AC systems available through several electricity providers. To qualify, you must have the work completed by a Florida-licensed air conditioning specialist. If you do it yourself, you won’t get the money back.

All year Cooling has decades of experience repairing Florida AC units and has helped well over 350,000 customers stay cool and comfortable year-round. We’ve been in the AC installation and repair business since 1973. We’re happy to provide free estimates and our service calls include a comprehensive AC system evaluation to point out anything else that may be wearing out.