With summer just a couple of weeks out, you should be keeping a close eye on your air conditioner. You’re going to start using it more often to keep your home cool and comfortable, which means more strain on the system. Summer is the number one time of year for air conditioner problems to develop. If you want yours to stay in good shape throughout the summer season, you should keep a sharp eye out for warning signs that the system is in poor shape. The faster you can identify that your air conditioner is having trouble, the faster you can get it repaired and the better off it will be. Have a look at some of the signs that your air conditioner needs to be repaired immediately.
Weird Noises
After a few times of using your air conditioner, you should be pretty familiar with how it sounds during operation. If your air conditioner suddenly starts to make strange noises while it’s operating, that should be a big sign that you should call for repairs as soon as possible. Unusual noises could mean a number of different problems, depending on the specific noise.
For example, hissing and bubbling noises mean that you have air bubbles in your refrigerant line. That means that you probably have a refrigerant leak somewhere. Grinding noises indicate that your air conditioner’s air handler is experiencing more friction than it should be. That probably means that the bearings in the air handler motor are failing, and need to be replaced. You should have that looked at right away, before the motor overheats and burns out. These are just a few of the examples of odd noises that indicate a problem.
Dropping Output
One of the first warning signs that your air conditioner is in trouble is often dropping output from the system. Just like the warning sign above, this could manifest in various ways and with various causes. Is your air conditioner still blowing air, but it isn’t as cold? You might have a refrigerant leak depriving the system of its output capacity. Is the air conditioner not circulating as much air at all? That could be due to a clogged air filter, or possibly an issue with the air handler. Regardless, low output is not a good sign. You should have a professional check your air conditioner out if it’s doing this.
Short Cycling
If your air conditioner is turning on and off every few minutes, you should have it repaired as quickly as possible. That behavior is called short cycling, and it dramatically increases the amount of wear and tear that the system suffers. Short cycling also lowers the amount of output the system is capable of generating, and shortens its lifespan. Make sure you have your system checked if you notice it doing this.
SPS Mechanical Inc. provides a full range of air conditioner repair services in Haddonfield, NJ. If you need to have your air conditioner repaired, contact us today for an appointment.
