Air Conditioning Service

Air Conditioning Service in St. Louis

Air conditioning service in St. Louis. As the hot St. Louis summer season approaches, keeping your air conditioning system in its best condition is essential to ensure a comfortable home environment. Don’t wait until you’re sticky and sweaty to call for air conditioning service. A trusted St. Louis HVAC contractor like SmartHouse can help ensure your system is ready for the upcoming cooling season and repair your system when the need arises. If we believe you’re better off having your AC replaced, we’ll work with you to find the best cooling unit for your home and make it as cost-effective as possible. If you’re looking for air conditioning service in St. Louis, call SmartHouse today at 314-648-3162, text us at 314-310-2242, or schedule your service online.

Air Conditioning Maintenance & Tune-Ups in St. Louis

Regular air conditioning maintenance is essential for keeping your system running smoothly, especially during the hot St. Louis summer months. The last thing you want is for your AC to break down on the hottest day of the year. Regular maintenance can help prevent this from happening by identifying and fixing any issues before they become major problems. The goal of air conditioning maintenance is to keep your system running through a hot season, improve your home’s energy efficiency (and lower your monthly bills), and to extend the lifespan of your unit.

How AC Maintenance Is Done

During an AC maintenance appointment, an HVAC technician will check your entire system for signs of wear and tear, debris, or other indications that your cooling system might need some TLC. You can find a full list of the services included in our AC tune-ups here. Generally speaking, your technician will:

• Make sure electrical components are functioning to factory specifications. This includes checking the thermostat, capacitors, and other electrical components to ensure they are working properly.
• Check the refrigerant level and cooling performance against factory specifications. An HVAC technician will measure the refrigerant level and compare it to the manufacturer’s recommended level. They will also test the cooling performance of the system to make sure it’s working as efficiently as possible.
• Check the compressor. The compressor is a critical component of your AC system as it compresses and circulates refrigerant. An HVAC technician will inspect it for signs of wear or damage and ensure that it’s functioning correctly.
• Clean off condenser coils. Dirty condenser coils can reduce the efficiency of your AC system. While this is safe for St. Louis homeowners to do themselves, your technician will also do it so they can test the system correctly.

In the best-case scenario, with a little fine-tuning your technician will be able to verify that your AC system is in good enough health to make it through the next cooling season. However, if the technician notices any deficiencies, they’ll provide recommendations for corrective action, and offer you a quote. If you choose to have your maintenance done by SmartHouse, more often than not we’ll be able to repair the issue on the spot once you agree to the quote.

Air Conditioning Repair in St. Louis

Your AC unit will likely need repairs done at some point during its lifetime, even with annual maintenance. If you notice any of the following symptoms and don’t have a scheduled maintenance visit in the near future, it’s most likely time to call a professional St. Louis HVAC company for AC repair:

• AC doesn’t come on
• AC doesn’t cool properly
• Insufficient airflow
• Frequent cycling
• High humidity
• Water leaks
• Bad odors
• High energy bills
• Freezing up or noticeable ice

While there are some basic maintenance tasks you can perform on your own, such as changing the air filter, most AC repairs should be left to a professional. Attempting to fix complex issues on your own could end up costing you more money, or worse, injuring you or someone in your household. If you’re not sure whether a repair requires professional attention, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and call a licensed St. Louis HVAC technician. You can read about when it’s best to DIY vs. calling a pro here, or go through our “Emergency AC Checklist” below for some safe troubleshooting tips to try if you’re AC unit is having issues.

Emergency AC Checklist

Air Conditioning Installation & Replacement in St. Louis

Whether we inspect your AC through maintenance or an emergency repair call, your technician may recommend replacing your older AC system with a newer, more efficient unit – if it makes sense for you and your St. Louis home.

When It Might Be Better to Replace Than Repair

There are a few scenarios where it might be better to opt for a new AC installation rather than invest in keeping your old system alive. The first is age. While other HVAC contractors claim shorter lifespans, most well-maintained AC systems should last between 15 and 20 years. The likelihood of a sudden failure increases with age. If your system is approaching or exceeding this age range, you should schedule AC maintenance to see whether or not your unit can make it through the strain of another summer.

The second reason is if you keep having to make repairs, or if the cost benefits of repair vs. replacement are canceled out by sticking with a less efficient unit. Spending hundreds of dollars every year to replace refrigerant is a bad investment. Likewise, with more expensive repairs like a failed compressor or leaking coil, it’s often more cost-effective in the long run to replace your system instead of trying to keep your old one going. While a single repair itself may be cheaper in the short-term, in time any savings would be offset by the higher energy costs associated with older AC units.

Benefits of Replacement Over Repair

While it’s human nature to try to keep what you have, there are good reasons why we sometimes recommend St. Louis homeowners replace their unit rather than have it repaired:

• Warranty — If you have an older system, the warranty has likely expired, and you’ll be on the hook for any new parts. Most AC manufacturers offer a 10-year warranty. Daikin offers a 12-year warranty, as does Mitsubishi if you work with a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor such as SmartHouse. With a new AC you can rest easy knowing that you’ll have a warranty to protect your investment for the next decade plus.
• Rebates and federal tax credits — Both Ameren and Spire offer rebates for newer systems, and recent legislation provides federal tax credits for more energy-efficient units.
• Energy efficiency — Modern air conditioning systems are designed to be more energy efficient than older models, which can help you save money on your monthly utility bills. The extra money you spend on a new installation will be more than made up for in your first years with the new system.

Overall, replacing your air conditioning system can be a smart decision if your current unit is outdated, inefficient, or simply beyond repair. While some St. Louis HVAC contractors push for replacements immediately, we only do so after careful consideration and with an understanding of your specific home and needs. We focus on doing the right thing, and, in our business, that means doing what’s best for the customer. Whenever we recommend replacing an AC system, we do so because we honestly believe it will improve your home comfort and help you save money in the long run. We’ll even help you choose the best AC unit for your home.

Benefits of Regular Air Conditioning Service in St. Louis

Of course, the best way to stave off the need for emergency repairs or replacement is with annual AC maintenance. Regular air conditioning service is key to maintaining your system and ensuring that it runs efficiently and reliably all summer long. Here are some of the key benefits of regular air conditioning service in St. Louis:

• Helps to reduce the possibility of equipment failure on the hottest day of the year — No one wants to deal with a failing AC unit when they need a functional one the most. You can save yourself the headache, hassle, and sweat by getting annual tune-ups.
• Extended lifespan of the system — By keeping your air conditioning system well-maintained, you can help your system last longer and put off more expensive repairs or replacement.
• Improved energy efficiency — When your air conditioning system is running at peak efficiency, it uses less energy to cool your home, which can help lower your monthly utility bills.
• Better indoor air quality — Your air conditioner’s job isn’t just to cool the air in your home; it helps keep your indoor air clean by bringing in fresh air from outside, filtering it to trap pollutants, allergens, and other particles, and keeping the humidity levels in your home comfortable.
• Cost savings in the long run — By catching potential problems early and keeping your system running efficiently, regular air conditioning service can help you save money on repairs and energy bills in the long run.

Regular air conditioning service is an investment in the longevity and performance of your system, as well as the comfort and safety of your home. It’s important to work with a reputable St. Louis HVAC company to schedule regular maintenance appointments and ensure that your system stays in top condition all summer long.

Choosing the Right St. Louis HVAC Company for Your Air Conditioning Service

When it comes to maintaining, repairing, or replacing your air conditioning system, it’s important to choose the right St. Louis HVAC company to work with. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting an HVAC company in St. Louis:

• Credentials and licenses — Make sure that the HVAC company you work with is properly licensed and certified to perform the work you need. Look for certifications from organizations like NATE (North American Technician Excellence) or ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America).
• References and reviews — Ask the company for references from past customers and check online reviews to get a sense of their reputation and customer service.
• Prices and services offered — Get multiple quotes from different HVAC companies to compare prices and services offered. Remember: cheaper doesn’t mean better. A “too good to be true” quote could indicate the contractor has limited experience, poor craftsmanship, or even dishonest sales tactics. By contrast, standard maintenance or a simple repair shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.
• Ensuring availability of emergency service — Make sure that the St. Louis HVAC company you decide to work with offers emergency service. You don’t want to trust your home cooling needs to a company that can’t help you when you need it most.
• Ethics and integrity — This is perhaps the most important. Many HVAC companies have fully credentialed technicians and allow for 24/7 emergency calls, but they don’t offer honest recommendations and don’t have your best interest at heart. An HVAC company with integrity will be able to help you with your heating and cooling needs throughout the lifespan of your system, instead of trying to upsell you when an emergency happens.

At SmartHouse, all of our technicians are NATE-certified and we are proud to stand by their work. Almost every recommendation includes an explanation of how a repair or replacement will affect you financially. We’ll even fill out rebate applications for you so you can benefit from those savings without having to lift a finger. Our dispatchers are available 24/7, and we have fully-stocked trucks all over the St. Louis area, increasing the likelihood that we’ll be able to reach you and repair your system quickly. We were proud to receive the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics, an award given to businesses that “put ethics into action.” Watch the video below to see what the award, and our clients, mean to SmartHouse owner and President Marc Bluestone:

Make the Smart Call to SmartHouse For Your Air Conditioning Service in St. Louis

At SmartHouse, our main goal is increasing your home comfort and energy efficiency, whether that’s through maintenance, an emergency repair, or installing a new system. Every time we walk into someone’s St. Louis home we ask ourselves what can we do to best serve this person and their home? If you’re looking for expert and ethical air conditioning service in St. Louis, call SmartHouse today at 314-648-3162, text us at 314-310-2242, or schedule an appointment online.