The combination of long hours of running and extreme heat can wreak havoc on your air conditioning system. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to experience issues with their conditioning systems from time to time. That’s why it’s a good idea to know and recognized common issues that plague AC systems so that you can be proactive in solving the problem or scheduling an appointment with a professional. These are eight of the most common issues that face air conditioners in the summertime.
1. Clogged Drain
While your air conditioner removes the heat from the air inside of your home, it also works to dehumidify the air. The excess water that is drawn out of the air makes its way down the drainpipe and into the drain. On a typical day, your air conditioning system can accumulate multiple gallons of water. A lot of this water has pollutants in it like dust.
Over time, this dust and debris can build up inside of the drainpipe and the drain. Also, it’s common for hard water scale to build up and clog the drain or the drainpipe. When either one of these is clogged, it will result in water leakage inside of your air conditioning unit. If too much water backs up, it can create extensive damage inside of the system.
In most cases, you should be able to remove the cloth from the drain or drainpipe yourself. A great mixture to use is water and bleach to get your drain mostly unclogged and to help remove the excess debris and hard water buildup.
2. Clogged Filter
Your air conditioning system has an air filter that is typically an inch thick. This filter works to remove unwanted pollutants from the air, like dust and pollen. As your air filter does its job, it will eventually become clogged full of this debris. It’s necessary to remove the filter and to replace it with a new one whenever the filter gets full.
Unfortunately, all too often, homeowners forget to change out the air filter on a regular basis. A clogged filter will cause your air conditioning system to work harder as it tries to force the air through the clogged filter. This can lead to a variety of other issues with the internal components of the system. You can solve a clogged filter problem pretty easily by locating the filter, removing it, and replacing it with a new one.
There are four main types of filters that you can purchase for your air conditioning system. These include a pleated filter, a fiberglass filter, a washable filter, and a HEPA filter. HEPA filters are the most expensive and do the greatest amount of filtering, whereas fiberglass filters are the least expensive and do the least amount of filtering. Most homeowners can get away with a pleated filter that is affordable, and that has a good level of filtering capability.
3. Failed Capacitor
Your air conditioning system has a run capacitor responsible for starting up the motors inside your system. Unfortunately, these capacitors are susceptible to failure when the outside temperatures reach triple digits. When a capacitor fails, the air conditioning unit has an internal safety mechanism that shuts off the entire unit.
If you’re comfortable with doing repairs yourself, you can replace the capacitor with a new one. However, it is important that you shut the system off and that you hook up the wiring correctly. If you’re not overly familiar with air conditioning systems, it’s a good idea to contact an air conditioning professional to do the capacitor replacement for you.
4. Low Refrigerant
You may be familiar with having the freon recharged in your car when the hot summertime heat comes back around. The same concept holds true with the refrigerant inside your air conditioning system. The refrigerant is responsible for transferring the heat from the inside of your home to the outdoors. Over time, the coils and copper tubing that the refrigerant runs through can develop pinhole leaks.
When enough refrigerant escapes through these pinhole leaks, it can leave your air conditioning system unable to produce the consistently cool air that you’ve become accustomed to. To get this problem fixed, you’ll need to contact an AC professional to come out and recharge the refrigerant that is inside your air conditioning system.
5. Dirty Coils
The two main types of coils in your air conditioning system are the evaporator coils and the condenser coils. As your air conditioner runs throughout the day, it moves a lot of air. Experts suggest that your air conditioner can move more than 100,000 pounds of air in a single day. That’s a lot of air with debris in it, and that the debris has to go somewhere.
Unfortunately, a lot of that debris will find itself stuck to the evaporator and condenser coils. When too much debris gets built up on these coils, it can reduce their efficiency and can cause your air conditioning system to work much harder than it needs to. You can clean these coils by simply using a foaming cleanser that you can pick up at your local hardware store.
6. Motor Breakdown
The various fans throughout your air conditioning system are powered by internal motors. These motors tend to fail due to overuse and simple wear and tear. When this type of breakdown occurs, it halts your air conditioning system from working correctly. You’ll need to call in an AC professional to evaluate which motor is broken and have it replaced.
7. Poor Airflow
Another common issue that many homeowners experience in the summertime with your air conditioning system is poor airflow. If you hold your hand up to the supply vents for the various rooms throughout your home and you don’t feel like there’s enough air coming out of them, you likely have one of two problems. These are an obstruction in your ductwork or an airflow issue with your internal components.
It’s best to walk around to every supply vent and to see if poor airflow is going to all the vents or just some of the vents. This can assist you in determining if there’s likely an obstruction blocking off some vents or another internal problem slowing airflow to your vents.
8. Dead Thermostat
Your home thermostat is the mastermind behind your entire air conditioning system. If your thermostat is not working, then your air conditioning unit is likely not working. When your thermostat screen does not work at all, it may be an indication that it’s time to change the batteries in your thermostat.
If changing the batteries does not work, head to your circuit breaker and see if the breaker was tripped for your air conditioning system. If the breaker isn’t tripped and putting in new batteries didn’t work, it’s likely that you may need a new thermostat installed. If you’re a DIYer, you can most likely install a new thermostat on your own. If not, it’s a good idea to contact an air conditioning professional to handle the situation.
Fast AC Repair
When your air conditioning system in Newbury Park breaks down, you can rely on Southland Heating & Air Conditioning for fast emergency repair services. We also provide our loyal customers with heating and indoor air quality services. Just give us a call today and let our knowledgeable staff assist you.
