Most of the time, the weather doesn’t have much of an impact on maintenances being done. Perhaps if it is a very windy day, you might have a backdraft problem on older furnaces and water heaters. Days with extreme heat can make furnace maintenance a bit uncomfortable, as we will be operating the furnace and -inevitably- heating the house up.
Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps (also mini-split systems) are impacted more heavily by weather, specifically as it gets colder outside. If you have a standard air conditioner, it can be difficult to properly check some components when the temperature begins to drop under 60°F. The main issue is that the refrigerant pressures show a drop due to the cooler outside temps, causing potential false readings of low refrigerant when there may not actually be any loss.
Heat Pumps can also be impacted by lower outdoor temperatures, but they can operate at much lower temps; even below freezing when used for heating. As your heat pump operates, it moves cold refrigerant outside— which, when outdoors is also at or below freezing, can begin to frost over and go into defrost mode. This is a normal function for the system, but as it gets colder, it will begin to happen more frequently. This can make it difficult to get proper readings of the refrigerant pressures.
Mini-splits, on the other hand, are seen as superior in the sense that they began the inverter technology that we are beginning to see in higher-end heat pumps. This allows them to operate at significantly lower temps without needing to go into defrost as often, which will allow us to get good pressure readings on the unit.
Overall, hot outdoor temperatures can make Furnace maintenance more uncomfortable due to the added heat, and as the outside temp lowers, Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps begin having pressure readings that can seem “off” (except for some higher end heat pumps). Mini-Splits were designed to operate at significantly lower temps, so they are less likely to have this same issue in most areas. We have worked in all kinds of weather conditions and have learned many techniques over the years to ensure we get the best readings possible during your appointment, and we schedule maintenance services in accordance with the weather whenever possible.
Cruzin Bee LLC 