FIRST PERSON: Endocrinologist Timothy Gilbert, M.D.
November 2025
String Light Stress? Call the Professionals for Help
November 2025
by Angie Kay Dilmore
Imagine an unseasonably warm November day—not a stretch for Southwest Louisiana. You and your oven have been working overtime all day in the kitchen as you put the finishing touches on an elaborate holiday dinner. Guests are expected to arrive any minute … and your AC unit comes to a grinding halt.
Or maybe it’s a cool day and you need the furnace to take the chill off. Either way, it’s at that moment you remember you needed to schedule a routine heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) maintenance inspection weeks ago.
Carl Kelly, COO at Trouth Air Conditioning, recommends inspections be done twice a year—spring and fall. “The time to have that maintenance performed is before heating is needed. In Southwest Louisiana, we don’t have a long heating season, so the heating function typically isn’t used nearly as often as cooling. But when heating is needed, it needs to work. Fall maintenance will help ensure our customers are ready.”
Trouth’s residential preventative maintenance visit can include up to 26 separate items that are cleaned, tested and/or inspected depending on the type of equipment, and a report is provided to the customer. A typical professional maintenance visit includes:
Cleaning: The evaporator and condenser coils are particularly difficult for a homeowner to clean on their own.
Electrical components inspection: All electrical connections are checked and tightened.
Lubrication: Motors and other moving parts are oiled to reduce friction and improve energy efficiency.
Refrigerant level check: Verifying the correct refrigerant level and charge keeps the unit running well and decreases costs.
According to Kelly, recent advances in HVAC technology are improving the function of today’s HVAC units. “Smart devices and A.I. technology are installed and connected to our office. Customers receive notifications as soon as a unit’s system performance starts to drop. We proactively reach out to customers, diagnose and repair before the customer experiences a system failure, allowing us to work together with our customers to keep their system running without breakdowns. This service has been available for several years on high end systems, but new technology makes it available for almost any system.”
Trouth Air Conditioning offers all services related to HVAC including duct work and cleaning, heat pumps and indoor air quality testing. New this month, they offer an online filter and accessory store and an online estimate tool. “Customers can now shop for filters and have them shipped directly to their home,” says Kelly. “We can also provide an estimated cost of a new HVAC system and schedule a home visit directly from the website. Our goal is to enhance our customers’ experience and provide excellent service.”
This holiday season, have your HVAC professionally maintained to ensure a comfortable home for your family and guests.
To access Trouth AC’s new online Filter and Accessory store, visit trouthac.com.
DIY HVAC MAINTENANCE:
In between professional HVAC inspections, follow this list to keep your unit operating efficiently year around:
• Open windows regularly to allow fresh air circulation.
• Use fans to promote air flow.
• Install exhaust fans in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.
• Consider an air purifier with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter to remove dust, pollen and other allergens.
• Change air filters regularly as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Use a dehumidifier to reduce humidity levels, which can promote mold growth.
