Summer is upon us, and it’s time to put your air conditioner to the test.
Of course, you don’t have to test it at all if you’ve just had it professionally tuned-up. Professional maintenance tune-ups are needed once a year (or twice, in the case of a year-round heat pump system) to keep your air conditioner working as effectively and efficiently as possible, for as long as possible.
Maintenance also helps reduce up to 85% of the repair needs that your air conditioner might ever need in its lifetime. Still though, it is possible for repair needs to crop up between tune-ups. For this reason, it’s important that you know the signs that your cooling system needs repair, so you can give us a call right away.
Read on to learn what some of the most common AC repair needs are, and what indicators to watch out for.
Ice On the Evaporator Coils
No matter how cold your air conditioner is capable of making your home, you should never see ice anywhere on the cooling system. Where you’re most likely to see it, when there is a problem, is on the evaporator coil.
This component is responsible for lowering the temperature of the refrigerant that runs through it, and when ice develops it’s usually because there is a refrigerant leak or some other problem preventing the coil from absorbing heat like it’s meant to.
A sign that this is a problem for your air conditioner is that you aren’t feeling cool air coming from the vents.
A Dirty Air Filter
There’s some good news about this particular air conditioning problem–you can resolve it on your own! You see, your HVAC system’s air filter should be swapped out every 1-3 months during periods of system use.
The air filter, despite popular belief, is not there to protect your indoor air quality. Instead, it is in place to protect the interior components of your air conditioner from dust, dirt, and other debris that can cause it harm. When the air conditioner gets too clogged up, it doesn’t allow the evaporator coil to absorb heat, and can create problems with cooling, and airflow.
If you notice that airflow is restricted, try changing the air filter. Also, take a look at your outdoor unit and make sure there are no leaves, branches, etc. restricting airflow there. Of course, if you do both of these things and you’re still having airflow problems, then it could be damaged ductwork–and that requires a call to our team.
A Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is the chemical substance that makes the cooling process possible for your air conditioner. Upon manufacturing, your AC system is supplied with enough to ideally last its entire lifespan. So if the system is losing any, it definitely means there is a leak.
Signs that this is a problem include a lack of cooling, and the sound of either hissing or bubbling depending on where along the line the leak is occurring. Please give us a call if you notice these signs!
See what keeps our customers saying “I Love My Design Comfort!” by contacting us today for air conditioning repair in Salt Lake City.
