Summer is just around the corner, which means now’s the perfect time to make sure your air conditioner is working properly. If not addressed, many common air conditioner problems could cause your air conditioner to break down completely. That’s the last thing you want when the warm temperatures arrive in the Twin Cities.
Here are some of the more common air conditioner problems and what you can do to address them.
- Insufficient refrigerant. If your air just doesn’t feel cold enough, your A/C could have too little refrigerant. The lack of refrigerant could be due to a leak or it could be due to an error during installation. It’s important to note that adding additional refrigerant won’t help if you have a leak. You’ll need to get the leak repaired by a professional to resolve the issue.
- Worn out electrical controls. Sometimes when an air conditioner is too big for a home, it will turn on briefly to send a blast of cold air and then quickly shut off once the home reaches the desired temperature. This constant on-off rotation can cause electrical controls to break down and result in wear and tear on other components such as the air handler motor and condenser. An experienced service person should check the electrical controls during a routine inspection.
- Improper care. Air conditioners need regular maintenance to function properly. If dirt accumulates on the air conditioner coils or filters, the A/C could function incorrectly or not at all. If you haven’t already done so, replace the filter before summer arrives and continue inspecting it throughout the summer, replacing as needed.
At Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning, we’ve been helping Twin Cities homeowners with common air conditioner problems since 1974. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about common air conditioner problems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock