Let’s talk about air conditioning service and repair issues. Most of us don’t give our air conditioning a second thought as long as it’s making cold air. But it’s a complex and expensive system that we should think about before it starts blowing hot air.
The refrigerant in the air conditioner uses a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts. When enough refrigerant leaks out, your air conditioner still makes cold air, but the parts don’t have enough oil to protect them and they wear out faster than they should so it’s important to service the air conditioner.
Replacing old refrigerant has another benefit: refrigerant tends to gather moisture and become corrosive. That old adage “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” has never been more true than when this toxic mixture creates leaks in the system which can be expensive to repair. Fresh refrigerant protects the air conditioning components and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency so it doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you cool.
Even with regular service A/C parts can just wear out. Normal wear and tear eventually gets to all moving parts.
A common failure is the clutch that turns the compressor on and off. If addressed when the A/C cluth first goes bad, you may be able to save the compressor. Wait too long and you’ll have to replace both. During the summer months, this is can be not only expensive to repair, but unbearably hot until you do.
Check your owner’s manual or ask your Humble service advisor at Clifford’s Certified Car Care for service recommendations. And if you’re hearing strange sounds when your air conditioning turns on, or if it just isn’t as cold as it used to be, have us give it the once over and see what it’ll take to keep you cool.
Clifford’s Certified Car Care
5331 FM 1960 Rd E
Humble, TX 77346
281.852.7114