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Common Signs That My AC Needs Repair
You count on your air conditioner to keep you comfortable, but when it breaks, it can create a hostile environment in your home.
You might not realize it, but many times, your AC will show some signs that it is struggling before it completely breaks down.
Knowing what to look for, especially some of the more subtle indications, can keep from suffering in a hot home.
If you notice any of these common signs, you will want to call an AC repair company in Houston, TX, to get it back on track. Here are the common signs that my AC needs repair:
Blowing Warm Air
Sometimes when your air conditioner is blowing out warm air, it’s a sign that someone in your home has adjusted the thermostat.
It’s easy to accidentally switch the mode from cooling to heating. If it’s set on cool though, you may be dealing with restricted airflow from your air filter or a compressor problem.
Insufficient Airflow from the Vents
When air isn’t freely flowing through your vents while the AC is running, something may be blocking it.
It could be your air filter, or you may have a broken motor that is failing to propel the air through your ducts.
High Humidity Inside Your Home
Your air conditioning system is designed to draw out heat and moisture from the air to create a comfortable and cool environment indoors.
When an HVAC system isn’t keeping the humidity out, it will take a diagnosis to determine the best way to tackle these repairs.
Leaks Around Your Air Conditioner
Air conditioners use refrigerant to cool things off indoors. It’s normal for some condensation to appear while it is running. However, you should never see pools of refrigerant or water leaking into your home.
If you see any water where it isn’t supposed to be, it’s a sign your HVAC system is having trouble and needs repairs.
Leaks can cause other costly damage to your home, and if it’s refrigerant, it can be toxic. Do not wait to call an HVAC company to get these repairs made.
Foul Odors Permeating Your Home
Your air conditioner should never smell bad, or blow stinky air throughout your home. If you determine the source of the stench is from your AC, you’ll want to call for repairs and get it cleaned to remove the odor.
You may need a UV lamp to kill off microbial growth or duct cleaning to fully rid your home of these problems.
Strange and Loud Sounds
When your air conditioner is running, it should make a low level of white noise. Usually, it hums along in the background without disturbing you.
In the event that you notice sudden, loud noises or even noises you haven’t heard before, you’ll want to call for repairs.
An air conditioning system should never rattle or buzz, a sign of loose parts. It should never grind, screech, bang, or clank either.
You’ll want to have this repaired immediately as the longer it carries on with all the ruckus, the more damage it will incur.
It’s Only Cooling Some Parts of Your Home
Perhaps you’ve sensed something isn’t quite right with your air conditioner when you walk into another room.
You may notice one room feels cool and comfortable while the other one is significantly warmer.
This AC problem could be an indication that your unit needs a little adjustment to get things working right again.
It could also mean that your insulation is causing these uneven temperatures. The way to know for sure is to have a professional HVAC technician assess the situation.
Your Thermostat May Be to Blame
In certain circumstances, the air conditioning system itself isn’t having an issue. For proper functioning, a thermostat needs to be correctly calibrated.
Sometimes, the connection from the thermostat to the air conditioning unit can become faulty too, leading to aggravating AC problems.
If the thermostat is faulty, it can even be the reason why you’re experiencing uneven cooling in some of your rooms.
However, if you’re lucky, it might only come down to changing the batteries in the thermostat.
If your thermostat uses batteries, see if changing them to a fresh set helps. You’ll know right away if that was the reason for the trouble, or if you need to make a call for AC repairs.
It Takes a While for Your Unit to Start Up
When you adjust your thermostat, you should soon hear the reassuring sounds of your air conditioner starting up.
It shouldn’t be taking all that long to do, perhaps only a few seconds. If it continually takes several minutes to respond to your adjustment on the thermostat, that’s not a good sign. You should schedule service to find out what is causing this delayed reaction.
Your AC Cycles Too Frequently
You’re bound to notice your air conditioner running more frequently on hot days. However, the cooling cycles should be fairly consistent in nature.
When it keeps turning on and off frequently in a short span of time, this is a problematic situation.
In general, most central air conditioning systems will have three cooling cycles every hour on a hot day.
These cycles will usually last about 10 minutes each. During this time, the compressor will run for 10 minutes and then stop for another 10 minutes. This cycle will continue in this way for an hour.
When frequent cycling or short cycling happens, the cooling cycle is more frequent than 10 minutes.
This causes the compressor to keep turning on and off more often than it should. Frequent cycling can put added strain on the entire HVAC system. This leads to more wear and tear on all those parts.
In time, this will likely lead to an entire system breakdown before that 10-year lifespan approaches.
Frequent cycling can be caused by clogged air filters, frozen evaporator coils, low refrigerant charge, or even because your unit is oversized in relation to your interior space.
Ultimately, if your air conditioner isn’t running as it should and it’s been a while since you had it professionally maintained, you should have repairs made.
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