When you receive an electricity bill that is substantially higher than others, more than likely your air conditioning unit is having problems. The first thing to do is call the professionals to come out for inspection. If your air conditioning unit is damaged, your serviceman will advise you to either repair or replace parts or the entire air conditioning unit.

Determining Whether to Repair or Replace

These are the general guidelines professional servicemen will tell you about whether to repair or replace. You should know enough about your own air conditioning system to be able to make this call on your own while being advised by professionals as well.

If your unit is under 5 years old: repair it. Most manufacturers of air conditioning systems offer a 5- 10year warranty on the compressor and other main parts. Some manufacturers even offer an addition 5-10year warranty on the small parts such as condensers and evaporator coils.

If your unit is over 5 years old: This can be a tricky call. If the compressor fails and is out of warranty, the professional highly suggest replacing the entire unit. This is because most compressor units only come with a one-year warranty and can cost up to half, if not more, the total cost for an entirely new air conditioning unit.

If your unit is over 10 years old: regardless of whether your system is damaged in any way, the professionals suggest replacing the entire unit with a newer, more energy efficient model. This can save you nearly 50% in total operating costs because the newer air conditioning systems are much more economical and efficient in operating costs.

If your condenser fan motor fails and the system continually runs unnoticed, it is likely that damage is present. If the fan motor is broke, cool air is not circulating properly, causing excessive amounts of heat, wear and tear on the compressor. If the compressor overheats, severe damage can occur causing you to replace your entire air conditioning unit.

If you are faced with any one of these problems, contact a professional air conditioning team as soon as possible. Not only will this save your home from overheating but it will also save you money on repair or replacement and save on your energy bills.

Cooling Tips From Professionals

• Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible during the summer. Lowering the difference between the temperature inside your home and outside temperature helps reduce your overall cooling costs.

• Never set your temperature lower than normal when turning on the air conditioning unit. Lowering the temperature will not cool your home any faster than keeping the temperature at normal and leads to unnecessary costs.

• Plant trees and shrubbery around your air conditioning units outside, but be sure not to block any airflow. Shading the area of an operating unit can lower your bill around 10% than having a unit operating in the sun.

• Do not place any lamps or electrical devices that produce heat near thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these products causing your air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Remember if your air conditioner is not working properly or is over 10 years old, call the professionals, it's not worth it to wait.