Imagine this scenario: It’s the middle of summer and you’re sitting in your home on an 85° day. It’s okay that it’s that hot because your air conditioner is blasting away, providing you with chilled air that makes you feel perfectly comfortable. Until suddenly, the AC stops working.
You rush to the thermostat—the settings are correct. The thermostat still seems to be functioning, so what gives? Next you check to see if the circuit breaker to your AC tripped and needs to be reset—nope, it’s not that either. You call for emergency repairs—but you have to wait for service since after all, it’s the middle of summer, and everyone else is calling for emergency AC repairs too.
What if this entire scenario could be prevented? Read on to learn how.
Avoiding Emergency AC Repairs
The first thing you’ll want to do in order to prevent sudden AC repair needs is schedule routine maintenance every year for your air conditioner. Generally speaking, it’s best to have your air conditioner tuned-up each spring. But consistency matters here more than timing.
The next step in preventing sudden AC repairs is knowing the signs that you actually have a repair need to begin with. Even with maintenance, wear and tear is a natural part of HVAC life, and you can experience a repair need at any time. Read on as we uncover some of the indicators that this is the case for you.
Low Airflow
Reduced airflow can be caused by a variety of things. The first thing you should do is check your air filter. The HVAC air filter is there to protect the system from dirt, dust, and other debris that could do it harm. Airflow problems can be caused by damaged ductwork, or even dirty ductwork.
Low Cooling Power
This is a bit different from low airflow. Perhaps the airflow seems strong enough but it’s not cool enough. This might be the sign of a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is the chemical that makes the cooling process possible. Occasionally, you may lose refrigerant through a leak that has to be repaired so that the refrigerant can be refilled (recharged). This shouldn’t happen too often, and is more likely in an aging system.
Short-Cycling
Short-cycling is a process where your air conditioning system turns on and off rapidly throughout the day, never actually completely a full cooling cycle. AC systems use most of their energy cycling on, so this is, of course, and inefficient way for the system to operate. Short-cycling also accelerates the wear and tear on the system, which can lead to premature replacement needs. You can avoid this by giving us a call if you hear your system short-cycling.
Other Strange Noises
In addition to short-cycling, you should listen for other noises that indicate your air conditioner is in need of repair. This can include clanging, banging, hissing—or really anything out of the ordinary sounds you typically hear when your cooling system is running.
Contact Ace Hardware Home Services for professional air conditioning services in Hickory, NC.