Most Common AC Problems You Can Avoid
For many people across the world, their air conditioner is akin to their best friend, or even a lifesaver. When the hot weather comes around, and it’s stifling outside, a well air-conditioned room can offer some much needed relief from the heat.
They say you never know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and I bet that saying has never been more accurate than when your air conditioning unit breaks in the middle of July.
Rather than seeking out an engineer for AC repair on your unit, it would be much better to stop the problem from happening in the first place.
In this article, we will cover some of the most common and easily avoidable AC problems that you may come across.
If you pay attention to the warning signs and conduct regular maintenance, you have a much better chance of keeping your hard-earned cash in your back pocket by saving on AC repair, and more importantly, you’ll spare yourself those sweltering hot days and sleepless nights.
Refrigerant Leaks
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The refrigerant in your AC unit is one of the critical components in keeping your home cool. The refrigerant absorbs the heat in the atmosphere and releases it outside.
If you notice any ice around your air conditioner, hear an unusual hissing sound from your device, or you realize that your AC is not making your home as cool as usual, then chances are you may have a refrigerator leak.
One other indicator is your electricity bill rising higher than usual. This is usually caused by the homeowners adjusting the AC temperature to get it to feel cooler in the home.
Having a refrigerant leak could pose health issues by releasing unwanted chemicals into the air. If you think that you have a leak, then it’s best to call a technician to come out and do some AC repair, sooner rather than later.
If you want to avoid any refrigerant leaks, then your best bet is to keep a close eye on the unit for any early warning signs and make sure you perform regular maintenance.
Frozen Evaporator Coils
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Refrigerant circulates through the coils, which is what helps to absorb the heat and humidity from the air and subsequently cools the room down to more comfortable temperatures.
When the temperature outside is too cold, it will prevent the refrigerant from circulating correctly and cause the coils to stop absorbing the heat as efficiently. This occasionally leads to the coils freezing, and the airflow will be affected as a result.
When this happens, the AC unit will likely only put out warm air, or it will completely stop working altogether.
An early indication of this may be water dripping onto the floor due to the ice melting off the coils. When this occurs, it’s time to call the AC technician.
Again, the best way to avoid this problem arising is to conduct regular maintenance on the ac unit and change the evaporator coils at least once every three years.
Clogged Drainage
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One of the more common issues found in AC units is a clog in the draining system. When your unit is working correctly, it will be continually soaking in moisture and small molecules of dirt in the air, and all of this must go somewhere.
It is usually drained outside of your home through a drain line, but sometimes clogging can occur, which will disrupt this process.
A block in the drainage can cause a backup and can end up working its way back up and damaging your system. It can even damage your ceilings, walls, and other things in your home with leaks.
One of the earliest signs of this is to check your condensation pan to see if it is emptying correctly. If you don’t do this, then the next sign you will notice will most likely be mold.
This can be extremely harmful to your health, so if you notice this issue, seek help to get it resolved as soon as possible.
Faulty fans
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There are fans built in to your AC unit that blows the warm air into the unit and over the evaporator coils to cool the air. There are also fans that expel the chilled air around your home to keep it at a comfortable temperature.
If any of these fans become damaged, then your AC unit will be affected, and it may stop working altogether.
If you notice reduced airflow, then look to fix the situation sooner rather than later. If this goes untreated, it can render your AC unit totally useless after enough time.
TIP: Before you perform any maintenance yourself and certainly before you attempt any repairs, make sure you are aware of the electrical safety procedures.
Bottom Line
It’s safe to say that the root cause of most AC problems is because of a lack of routine maintenance. A lot of the most common issues that arise could easily be avoided with regular check-ups of the unit and by changing a part occasionally.
It’s far more cost-effective and much less time consuming to prevent these common issues before they arise.
Author: Owen Wright
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