By Jeff Brown

It's a warm Saturday morning in June.  No sleeping in late today...running to the airport to pick up "The Kid".  He has flown in to surprise his mother for her birthday.  She thinks we're just going to breakfast and isn't sure what the hurry is all about.  I'm wondering how I can make it back in time to accept the cake delivery. Whew...all this might make a guy sweat a little.  As soon as I realized the air conditioner wasn't cooling, I started to sweat a lot!

Thankfully, a technician was able to come out that day and recharge the coolant.  This situation could have been completely avoided had I followed my own recommendations.

System interruptions are never convenient but with regular maintenance you can significantly reduce the possibility.  Devise a schedule to change the filter(s) on the 1^st of each month (or 15^th or 30^{th  -} whatever works best for you).  Remember to schedule a HVAC tune up twice a year when the time changes (air conditioner in spring - heating in fall).  Unfortunately, sometimes systems fail but preventative measures will lessen the chances of being caught unaware at an unfortunate time.