Buying a home in the Phoenix area? If you’re new to the experience and not graced with the talent of being mechanically savvy, keep reading. It’s important to be educated on the condition of THE most expensive appliance in the home, the Air Conditioner, before signing on the dotted line.
Buying a home should be one of the most exciting experiences in your life, right? In my case, it has been, but it didn’t come without high stress levels and new obstacles to overcome each day. When looking for the house of your dreams it’s not uncommon to focus on things like kitchen appliances, counter tops, fixtures, flooring or paint (items in the household that you have to look at each day). Of course you see an A/C unit(s) at the home, but what do you really know about it or its condition. I knew I had one unit, it was big, and the outside of it looked pretty clean. The typical home inspection is a very generic, not very thorough, and basically uninformative I’ve come to find out. The inspector will turn on the A/C unit briefly to see if is cooling and that is about it. So to protect yourself, your investment and your pocket book, take the time to ask a few additional questions.
• How old is the Air Conditioning unit?
Even with the best maintenance, air conditioners wear out over time. Older air conditioning units can contribute to inconsistent cooling as well as having lower efficiency than modern, high energy efficient models. The savings you gain from replacing your older unit may justify moving up the replacement date.
• Is the unit still under manufacturer’s warranty?
The equipment manufacturer recommends at least yearly service to protect warranties. No documented service at emergency repair time can make it more difficult to get help from the manufacturer when it comes to those warranties.
• Has the unit received regular maintenance?
Regular preventive maintenance on your air conditioning system may be more important than having your car serviced for routine maintenance. It is our most expensive appliance and we actually use it more than we use our cars. If we have regular maintenance once or twice per year, we know our system is going to keep its efficiency and be very dependable. A properly maintained HVAC system will be an asset, not a liability.
If you are not satisfied with the information provided by the sellers, or need to be more educated before making an offer or asking for concessions, contact On Time Air Conditioning and Heating to do a thorough inspection of the unit(s) so you know the condition and whether or not replacement is in the near future. On Time Air Conditioning & Heating will exceed all your expectations. Contact us today! (623)209-8333
