Winter is almost here! Okay, so that doesn’t mean a whole lot for us. We’re still using our air conditioning systems on a regular basis—day after day. You need yours to perform at its best for as long as possible, and the last thing you need is a sudden breakdown on a hot and humid day.
Hopefully, you do keep your air conditioner well maintained by scheduling annual tune-ups, and scheduling repairs as soon as the need for them crops up. And most repair issues also give out signs and symptoms well before they cause the AC system to break down entirely.
“Is My Air Conditioner About to Break Down?”
You shouldn’t attempt to formally diagnose or repair a faulty air conditioner on your own. This is in part because they contain dangerous components like refrigerant, which requires formal training and experience to deal with.
You can, however, spot the signs that there is a repair need, and then give our team a call. Some of the most common signs that you do, in fact, need AC repairs include (but are not limited to) the following.
A Drop in Airflow: Air that isn’t moving through your vents with the speed you expect can be an issue. It usually means that cold air is trapped within the system, which can cause the coils to freeze over and create an even bigger problem. Even if this isn’t the cause, reduced airflow means your air conditioner is working harder than it should have to in order to do its job.
Reduced Cooling: Low refrigerant, overheating components, and/or damaged ductwork can all reduce your air conditioner’s ability to cool your air. You can detect this by noting if the air coming out of your vents is warmer than you’d expect. Just like the above-mentioned issue, this makes your HVAC system work harder than it should have to, meaning it’s eating up more energy than it should.
Short-Cycling: This is the name given to the process where an air conditioner cycles on and off rapidly rather than in regular intervals. Even when it’s operating normally, and air conditioner expends most of its energy when cycling on and off than it does when it’s continuously running. This means short-cycling takes up more energy.
Odd Noises: You know the noises your air conditioner makes as it operates. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, it’s worth being concerned about. What could end up being a minor fix could instead turn into an emergency or major breakdown if ignored. Different noises we’ve gotten called for include humming, moaning, buzzing, clanging, or anything else that doesn’t match the normal operation of the cooling system.
Unexplained Increase in Bills: In some cases, a problem with a cooling system won’t show any obvious signs, however, can be translated into excess energy consumption. In these cases, you’ll probably notice the problem by spotting an unexplained spike in your monthly energy bills.
