Are you buying a new home in the Metuchen area? If so, congratulations! This is an exciting time.

However, it’s also a time to exercise some caution. While it’s wonderful to find the house that has the closet space and home office that you’ve been dreaming of, it’s also critical to have thorough inspections performed on the home’s major components.

With summer just around the corner, it’s critical that your new home is ready to provide adequate cooling. Before taking another step toward buying that home, contact First Choice Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical in Metuchen. We help homeowners in Metuchen and the surrounding area assess the cooling systems of new homes. Trust us to ensure that your home will keep your family comfortable all summer long.

Why Assess a New Home’s Cooling System?

Whether the home that you’re purchasing is a couple of years old or has been lived in and loved for decades, an assessment during our AC maintenance service of its cooling system is essential. Without it, you can’t be certain that your home’s cooling system is up to the task of keeping your family comfortable even when the New Jersey summer sizzles.

Even the system in a newer home could have issues that aren’t obvious. Perhaps it wasn’t installed with sufficient care. Maybe the size of the unit isn’t adequate to keeping a home of this size cool. It’s also possible that the home’s previous owners didn’t provide regular maintenance and care. This may mean that the cooling system is a disaster waiting to happen.

In an older home, even more problems may be involved. For instance, most cooling systems are designed to operate at their best for approximately 15 years. If the cooling system is that age or older, then you may be looking at replacing that system relatively soon.

The more you know about your new home, the more confident you can feel about your choice. In addition to getting any air conditioning maintenance and AC repair records from the previous owner, ask First Choice Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical in Metuchen to assess your home’s cooling system to provide the peace of mind that you deserve.

Is the Air Conditioner Cooling Like It Should?

Perhaps the most basic test of any air conditioning system’s functionality is to check how well it cools. This can be accomplished by turning down the thermostat a few degrees. If you ask one of our technicians to help you assess the air conditioning, they’ll ensure that the thermostat setting is lower than the current ambient temperature. Let the cooling system run for about one-half hour to check how well it performs.

On average, an AC unit that’s performing as it should be can cool an ordinary house by approximately one degree every 20 minutes to one-half hour. If you notice that it’s taking longer to lower the temperature in your new home, then it may indicate that a fault is developing in the unit.

When an air conditioner is not providing the cooling that’s expected, there may be several reasons why. Installation may have been substandard, or perhaps the cooling system is undersized for the square footage of the house. It’s possible for our expert technicians at First Choice Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical to figure out what’s going on with your AC system.

Potential Problems With the Outdoor Unit

After examining the performance of the air conditioning system indoors, our technician moves on to test the outdoor unit. Ideally, the outdoor unit will be blowing warm air that is being expelled from the interior of your home. Our technician will feel the air from the condenser. If it is cold, then it’s possible that the AC isn’t correctly functioning.

Summer temperatures in Metuchen seem to be rising, and when they reach greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s possible that the outdoor unit will freeze. This typically indicates a problem in the refrigerant system, which causes the refrigerant temperatures to drop to abnormal levels.

Another fault that our technicians look for in the outdoor unit is a clogged air filter. This filter needs to be cleaned or changed on a regular basis to keep airflow moving at maximum levels. When there isn’t sufficient warm air blowing through the coils because of a clogged filter, then it’s possible for the tubes to gather frost.

Refrigerant leaks and dirty coils are two more issues that can arise in the outdoor unit. These also cause freezing and substandard performance of your air conditioning system. Sometimes, layers of dirt and grime collect, forming an insulator between the unit’s copper tubes and the warm conditioned air. This causes the refrigerant temperature to plummet, and this in turn causes the outdoor unit to blow out cold air instead of warm air.

Sometimes, low coolant levels in the outdoor unit prevent the system from absorbing the heat energy that it requires for optimal performance. It’s possible that a routine maintenance service provided by First Choice Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical could completely transform the unit’s performance by checking fluid levels and recharging the system.

Checking the Vents and Ductwork

Vents and air ducts are super performers in any AC system as these are the components that channel warm air out of your house and bring in the cool air. Any obstructions in the vents will prevent the warm air from leaving the rooms, which means that your AC can’t cool your home the way that it should.

One myth that too many believe about air conditioning systems is that blocking certain vents reduces the system’s energy consumption. In reality, an air conditioner that has been installed by capable professionals is uniquely customized to meet the needs of the home in which it is installed. When vents are closed off, the AC has to work too hard, and this can result in the deterioration of several components. If your home’s previous owners believed this myth, then the AC system may have unusual wear and tear.

Another problem that may arise from vents comes about as a result of their ability to collect dust and allergens. A telltale sign of this problem is corrosion on vents or registers. Our technicians can assist you to determine whether or not pollution is a problem with your AC system.

Ductwork that was improperly installed or that has degraded can have a negative impact on indoor air quality and cause problems with your AC. Leaks, gaps and loose connections in the ductwork can be responsible for several issues.

We can inspect your vents and ductwork for condensation and other signs of issues. Sealing, cleaning or replacement of the ducts may be required, and having these duct services performed may reduce your energy bills by as much as 20%.

Is the air conditioning in your home living up to expectations? If not, it’s time to call First Choice Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical. We’re here to meet all of your heating, cooling and plumbing needs in all four seasons. Call us today to learn more about our services and schedule a consultation.