YSK because the first hot spell is when most people discover their AC unit is broken.
Several years ago I waited to turn on my AC. This is how I found out about one of the busiest times for repairmen and had to sweat for two weeks. Now I do a test run a couple of weeks before it heats up. Same goes for the furnace at the end of Autumn.
Edit to add: YSK line (Rule 2)
Joke’s on you, in Texas you always need it
Meh, 104 degrees feels like 117. It’s…bearable but not enjoyable. What I dislike is it still being 92 at 9pm.
As someone from Upper Michigan, that does not sound bearable to me.
Then again, 0 degrees with -15 windchill probably sounds more bearable to me than to you.
YMMV But another fun AirCon fact*.
A few years ago we switched from running the air con hard at 20°C or so when we got home, having it turn off automatically late at night, running it hard in the morning and turning it off when we went out…
To…
setting it at a supposedly “high” setting of 27°C and leaving it on 24/7 (July to September)
The running cost was the same and it was very comfortable coming home to an already cool dry environment. We never felt the need to lower the temperature either. It was lovely.
*“fact”. I’m sure the condition of your home insulation, outside temperature and conditions, draftiness of windows and doors etc all play a role.
Relatedly: there are HUGE tax credits for heat pumps right now; I’m actually paying several thousand dollars less for a new heat pump than I would have for a new central AC. (Installed as a two stage system, so I can still use my regular boiler when it gets cold)
So if anybody else is up for a replacement you should definitely take a look at any federal + state + local credits you might get for going that route.
Having a boiler + heat pump would be a Hybrid system. A 2-stage heat pump typically refers to the capability for the heat pump to run at lower power (such as 70% max) or full power, to try and prevent thrashing on slightly warm days, while keeping capacity available for hot days.
You should actually be getting your annual routine maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer.
Second this. Keeps the unit in good order, you find out about issues before they become major problems, and it’s usually fairly cheap like 50 bucks. The downside is it’s a good opportunity for an unscrupulous tech to overplay some minor issue to try convince you to upgrade.
