Odd Air Conditioner Noises? Call for Repairs!

Summer is the season where it’s most likely for air conditioner problems to crop up—especially toward the end of the season. Your cooling system is placed under a lot of stress and the additional wear and tear of the summer season means it’s more likely for various components to break down.

It’s important, then, that you get your AC system checked out by a trained and experienced professional if you notice any signs that something is amiss. Keep reading as we take a look at one of the more common indications that your AC is malfunctioning—strange and unfamiliar noises. But what noises do we mean?

Grinding
Is your air conditioner making a grinding noise as it runs? It’s likely because there is an issue with the air handler. The motor of this component contains a number of oiled bearings to help keep friction as low as possible during its operation.
These bearing wear down over time, naturally. This causes the friction on the air handler motor to slowly increase, and when the friction gets to be too much, the air handler motor will start making a grinding noise. If you hear this, be sure to call for repairs ASAP. The bearings will need to be replaced soon, before the air handler motor overheats and burns out.

Hissing
If you hear a sound that resembles air being let out of a tire coming from your air conditioner, it could very well be due to air bubbles in the refrigerant line, which means you have a leak. The lower the refrigerant level in the AC drops due to a leak, the lower the system’s output capacity will drop in response.

Eventually, the refrigerant level in the system will drop to the point that your air conditioner will be forced to shut down. So, be sure to call for AC repairs as soon as you notice fluid dripping from your system, or a hissing sound coming from the system.

Short-Cycling
Short-cycling is when your air conditioner turns itself on and off every couple of minutes. This can be caused by a number of things, such as electrical issues and compressor malfunctions. Regardless of the cause, however, what’s more important is the threat it poses to your air conditioning system.

Short-cycling cuts down on the AC system’s ability to cool the home, and accelerates the rate in which the system wears down. As you might imagine, prolonged short-cycling will cause the system to be more susceptible to breakdown, and prematurely so. If you notice your system is short-cycling, it’s time to give our pros a call.

Rattling
Is this sound coming from your attic or crawlspace while your air conditioner is running? Then you might have damaged ductwork. The problem with breached air ducts is that they leak conditioned air into unoccupied spaces. Therefore, you’re paying for air that you’re not getting, and wasting energy and money as a result.

SPS Mechanical Inc. offers full Turnersville, NJ air conditioning services. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our HVAC technicians.