In these tough economic times, the last thing you need is a great air conditioning repair. Although all mechanical systems require periodic repairs, many breakdowns can be avoided. Here are the nine most common problems we face every spring and what you can do to avoid them.
1. Dirty Filter
If you have a single-use 1-inch filter, you’ll need to change it every month. It’s out of sight and memory, so it’s easy to forget to change it. However, every year we go where the air conditioner is not cold, and this is due to the limited airflow from the too dirty filter. Dirty filters reduce indoor air quality, make homes less comfortable, and cause indoor circuits to freeze up, leading to serious problems to fix.
2. Turn off the power
Some heating and air conditioning systems are equipped with an indoor unit wall switch which can be mistaken for a light switch for safety and convenience. If you accidentally turn it off or leave it on in hot weather, your air conditioner won’t turn on. Always check the status of the change before calling us.
3. Breaker has been tripped
One of the most common reasons for calls not cooling is that the key is disabled. Please return it before calling us. We hope this will not happen again. If so, call us. Something caused the switch to shut off. It’s usually something as simple as a bad switch, loose wire, or bad capacitor. However, if left unchecked, some simple problems can lead to much more expensive repairs.
4. Coolant leak
The air conditioner is an airtight system. The refrigerant must never leak. When that happens, bad things happen. The performance of your air conditioner will decrease, and electricity consumption will increase. Your air conditioner may not be cooling. The winding may be frozen. The compressor may be damaged. In addition, refrigerants are greenhouse gases. We use various tools to detect refrigerant leaks. The problem is often as simple as a faulty Schrader valve or a bad connection between the connecting pipe and the coolant pipe.
5. Thermostat
Some thermostats need to switch between heating and cooling modes. If the switch is in the wrong position or damaged, your air conditioner will not start. High-quality digital thermostats are rarely thrown away. Some inexpensive varieties may be available in large boxes. So what’s going on? The switch may be damaged, and voltage spikes can cause malfunctions, etc.
6. Clogged drainage pipe
Remove the air conditioners from the humid air and, at the same time, lower the temperature. Moisture is usually removed from your home by plumbing. The secondary condensate leak should be a leak. Algae in these rows can grow by blocking them. This can cause water damage to your home. We drain the sewer pipes as part of our spring air conditioning, or you can do it separately if needed.
7. Contactors
The contactor is the electromechanical switch on your air conditioner. Sometimes the silver cap of the contactor wears out, և the contactor gets stuck, which allows the peripherals to work continuously, which is expensive. Sometimes ants are attracted to electricity, “pushed between the contactors,” which prevents them from closing. If this happens, the external device will not work. The contactors may also be electrically damaged. We check them during spring tuning; if necessary, clean the contactor surface, and recommend replacing them for damage.
8. Dirty evaporating radiator
The coil must be cleaned regularly; otherwise, dust & dirt will accumulate, limiting the coil’s heat exchange capacity & reduce airflow to the system. Dirty places increase operating costs & reduce the comfort of your home.
9. Dirty capacitor winding
The condenser coil is located outside the air conditioner. A dirty or limited coil is inefficient, increases energy consumption, and reduces system cooling capacity. Maintaining cleanliness reduces energy costs & use of the air conditioner.