The Most Common Home AC Repair Issues: A Comprehensive Guide
When your air conditioning operates seamlessly, it runs quietly in the background, and we don’t give it much thought. Regardless of the scorching heat or oppressive humidity outdoors, you can revel in consistent comfort throughout the summer. Making it through June, July, and August without Greensboro AC might be possible, but it certainly isn’t pleasant.
So, when something comes up with your system that needs to be addressed, it’s important to deal with it right away – and to get help from an experienced team like Berico. This page is going to dive into the many different common types of HVAC repair that relate to home air conditioning systems. You should have a better understanding of how air conditioning in Greensboro is fixed when something goes wrong, but you still don’t need to be an expert. For that, just call on Berico to get the help you need, when you need it.
The Leading Issue – A Lack of Maintenance
Without a doubt, the right place to start is to discuss the lack of maintenance that plagues many home air conditioning systems. Simply put, most systems are left alone for years, and they are just expected to keep on running without any notable care being provided to the unit. That’s not how mechanical things always work, however, and sooner or later problems are going to develop.
Ongoing maintenance that is provided by a professional contractor like Berico will go a long way toward making sure an air conditioner keeps running properly year after year. The cost of maintenance will pale in comparison to the cost of repairs and will be only a fraction of what it would cost to install an entirely new system. Small problems can turn into big issues when maintenance isn’t provided, so it’s a good idea to get on a regular schedule of annual maintenance. This maintenance work can be done at any time of the year but doing it each spring is a logical choice to gear up for the hot summer weather that is to come.
As we continue, keep in mind that you might be able to avoid most or all of these problems if you manage to keep up with a consistent, ongoing maintenance schedule. Rather than being stuck in the heat while you wait for a repair in the middle of the summer, you could be enjoying a steady flow of cool air and relaxing in your home with family and friends.
A Dirty Air Filter
You might be surprised to learn that one of the most common AC repair issues is actually one that you can handle yourself. There is no special training or advanced equipment needed to take care of this maintenance point, so there is no excuse not to do it regularly. All air conditioners use an air filter to make sure the air that is coming into the system is as clean as possible, and that filter is going to get dirty and clogged up over time. By changing it out, you’ll be letting your system run at its best, improving both performance and efficiency along the way.
The main key to doing this task consistently is just to have some air filters on hand. Find out what size filter your system uses and have a few on hand. Then, when the time comes to trade out the old dirty one for a fresh one, you’ll be able to make that swap in just a matter of moments. Also, when you replace the filter, you can write the date on the side of the new filter, and that way when you check it in a few months you won’t have to try to remember how long it’s been. If you would like to eliminate the need to ever have to order or buy filters at the local big box hardware, Berico offers a filter service through a partnership with FilterFetch, which will deliver the right filter to your door at the right time. To sign up for this service click here: filter delivery service. By staying ahead of the game on this key point, you’ll be setting your air conditioner up for long-term success.
Issues with Sensors
Unfortunately, the average homeowner is going to be able to do little with regard to maintenance on their air conditioner. The air filter we mentioned above is a great DIY task, but almost everything else will need to be handled by a professional. That’s certainly the case with this next issue – problems with the sensors that help the AC unit operate properly.
Some of the sensors on the air conditioner include those that figure out what the current conditions are like in your home so the system can properly bring it down into a comfortable temperature range. Most of the time, those sensors are working fine, and you get great results. When the sensors start to get into trouble, however, the unit will struggle, and you won’t be getting the cooling you count on during hot weather. It might not be obvious to you that the sensors are the problem, so simply call the team at Berico to have the system inspected and the professionals will be able to get to the heart of the matter.
Leaking Refrigerant
No air conditioner is going to be able to do its job effectively without sufficient refrigerant in the lines. The refrigerant is what enables the system to gather up warmth from the air inside and move it outside. If there is a leak somewhere in what is supposed to be a closed system, refrigerant can get out and the performance of the whole air conditioner will start to tail off. Soon enough, you’ll notice that it is taking a lot longer for the air conditioner to bring the house down to a comfortable temperature, or it might not be able to reach the right temperature at all.
There are a couple of tasks that will need to be completed in a proper repair when a refrigerant leak is to blame for poor performance. First, the location of the leak will need to be found, and the repair will need to be made to make sure refrigerant doesn’t keep leaking in the future. Then, with the system repaired, additional refrigerant can be added to bring the level back to where it was before the leak.
Failure of the Electronic Controls
Like almost everything else in your home, and in your life, air conditioning systems are now managed by electronic controls. There are electronics within the system that allow the various parts to communicate and work together effectively to get the right outcome. If the electronics break down and the system can’t “talk” to itself as it is supposed to, it might simply stop working entirely.
This is another area where it might require a professional to confirm that you have an electronic control problem in the system. Of course, if the system won’t turn on at all, you might suspect that this is the issue, but it’s only when you get a trained technician in to look at the situation that you’ll be able to say with any degree of certainty what is going on.
How to Spot Signs of Trouble in Your Air Conditioner
This article has highlighted how you will need an expert in most cases to get started with an air conditioner repair. That’s true, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t play an active role in the care of this system. There are a few different things you can watch for that might indicate the need to get some help and have the air conditioner inspected. Some of those signs include the following –
- Hearing strange sounds. This is one of the ways that homeowners are often tipped off to something being wrong with the AC system. If you hear sounds while the system is operating that you don’t remember hearing previously, something is probably wrong, and the situation needs to be examined by a professional. This might mean the system is running louder than normal, or you could be hearing a strange sound coming from one specific area. It’s often best to turn the system off when it is making weird sounds until it can be checked out and repaired.
- Freezing coils. One classic sign of air conditioner trouble is coils on the outside unit that are developing frost or ice even in the middle of the summer. This could be an airflow issue or a leak somewhere in the refrigerant line, but again, you’ll want to let the experts figure things out and explain how it needs to be fixed.
- Turning on and off frequently. Your air conditioner should run for a decent amount of time before it turns back off. When the cycles get short, that’s often a sign that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Pay attention to how frequently you hear the air conditioner kick on and make it a point to call for service if the start ups become more and more regular, and the cycles get shorter and shorter.
Fortunately, modern air conditioning systems tend to be rather reliable, so you might be able to go quite a long time without the need for a repair. With that said, having your system maintained by experienced professionals like Berico is a smart move to keep everything on track. And, if you are running an older system, think about AC replacement in Greensboro to upgrade to modern, efficient equipment. Give Berico a call today to make sure your AC unit is back in working order as soon as possible!
