Comfortable air is one of those things that luxury homeowners in NYC (any homeowners, in fact) tend to take for granted until suddenly the apartment air conditioning is not working. When the AC breaks down, the consequences can be devastating for high-end homeowners. It’s much worse than merely being too warm for a little while and having to pay for a repair. Did you know that expensive decor and irreplaceable furnishings can be damaged by failed apartment air conditioning?
Keep reading to learn about what can happen and what you can do to prevent the worst from happening to you.
How faulty apartment air conditioning can ruin your decor
At Arista Air, one of our specialties is handling apartment air conditioning installation and maintenance for New York City’s elite homeowners. I would never compromise anyone’s privacy by revealing the details of what we’ve seen, but I can tell you that the finishes in Manhattan’s brownstones and penthouse apartments are truly extraordinary. We’re talking about woodwork, molding, wallpaper, rugs, artwork, musical instruments, and furniture that are custom-designed, created specifically for the homeowners, and worth millions. Some are even museum-quality masterpieces.
Think about the potential consequences for the homeowner if the apartment air conditioning fails. It’s kind of a double-whammy that inevitably leads to very unhappy homeowners:
1. Moisture and humidity are the enemies of distinctive finishes and decor. Excess moisture causes woodwork and moldings to warp. It leads to the growth of mold that can ruin paintings, photographs, wallpaper, rugs, draperies and upholstery.
2. Humid air and water leaks are very common when apartment air conditioning breaks down, or even when the AC isn’t working well for some period of time. The damage can happen slowly and you might not even notice until it’s too late.
Luxury homeowners have a habit of taking off on long trips, especially in the summer. It’s one reason the apartment air conditioning is often neglected. What happens when the AC stops working and nobody is home to notice? A great deal of very expensive damage.
Apartment air conditioner maintenance is like insurance, but better
Here’s the good news: damage to expensive decor and priceless treasures from poor apartment air conditioning is almost entirely preventable with regular HVAC maintenance. It’s like insurance, but better, because you avoid the problem altogether. When you’re talking about items that can’t be replaced, that’s incredibly important. All the insurance in the world can’t bring it back if a one-of-a-kind masterpiece is destroyed.
Let’s talk about how AC maintenance works, and how it prevents AC failure that can cause damage to the contents of the home.
At a high level, AC maintenance includes:
- a thorough inspection of the components
- replacing worn parts as needed
- cleaning the components
Here’s how each of these things helps to keep your apartment air conditioning working well and prevent breakdowns.
Inspections detect problems before they happen.
When an experienced AC expert inspects your equipment once or twice a year, that person can spot things that aren’t working as they should be. For example, testing the refrigerant charge might show that you’ve got a refrigerant leak. If the leak is small (or you haven’t used the system much in months) you might not yet notice that your apartment air conditioning isn’t cooling as well as it used to. But over time, that small leak can lead to big problems with the performance of the system. What if you’re in the Hamptons for a month when it stops working? You may return to a very unpleasant surprise.
With AC maintenance, that leak will be found and fixed long before it can cause problems that damage your home.
Replacing worn parts prevents small problems from turning into big ones.
When your AC technician finds a worn part in your apartment air conditioning system, such as a wire or a capacitor or a fan motor, it’s a simple and inexpensive fix. On the other hand, letting those problems go will eventually lead to a complete system breakdown. Again, what if no one is around to notice when that breakdown happens? You can end up with a much more expensive repair. You might have to replace the entire system. And you could end up with damage to irreplaceable decor.
Also, consider this: in our experience, Murphy’s Law dictates that breakdowns always happen at the worst possible time. Like the day of an important dinner party or family occasion. The last thing you want is a spoiled event because of an AC breakdown!
Cleaning the components keeps your equipment working optimally.
There are many apartment air conditioning components that need to be kept clean to do their job. For example, clogged drain lines can’t drain away excessive condensation. If they get completely blocked, you could easily have a water leak that damages your home. Another example is the AC evaporator and condenser coils. If they get caked with grime, your system performance can decline to the point where you have excessive humidity that can damage your home.
Find out more about AC coil cleaning: A Guide to Air Conditioner Coil Cleaning: Why, How, and How Often
To be clear, there’s always going to be some risk of air conditioner problems that can’t be seen in advance. But the chances of that happening are far, far less when you’re getting regular inspections, cleaning and tuneups for your apartment air conditioning. It’s the smart thing to do to protect your home and your treasured possessions.
If you found this article about NYC apartment air conditioning helpful, take a look at these related topics:
Why Get an HVAC Maintenance Contract for Your Luxury Residence?