It’s officially summer here in the Coachella Valley, and that means our air conditioners are going to be working very hard in the coming months. Unfortunately, things can occasionally go wrong with your cooling system, and this is the worst time of year for that to happen. We want to help our customers be prepared for potential issues, so today we’re going to talk about some of the most common air conditioner problems that homeowners encounter and what you can do to prevent them!
7 Common Air Conditioner Problems
- Refrigerant leak. If one of your refrigerant lines develops a leak, your system will lose refrigerant and will not have enough of it to keep your home cool. You can prevent this problem by scheduling an A/C tune-up, because we will measure your system’s refrigerant levels and test for leaks. If you do have a leak, we’ll need to patch the leak up and recharge your system.
- Dirty filter. Since your air conditioner will be running more now than it does during the rest of the year, your air filter can clog up relatively quickly. Be sure to check and/or change your filter at least once per month this summer to avoid major efficiency and airflow issues with your system.
- Frozen evaporator coil. Your evaporator coils can freeze over for a number of different reasons, including airflow problems, dirty coils and low refrigerant levels. The best ways to avoid frozen coils are to change your filter every month and schedule a tune-up so that we can test your system’s airflow and refrigerant levels and fix any problems that we might discover.
- Dirty cooling coils. If dirt builds up on your cooling coils, your system will have a hard time removing and dispensing heat from your home. This is another issue that’s best prevented by keeping your air filter clean and scheduling an annual A/C tune-up so that we can clean your coils.
- Blocked condensate drain line. If your condensate drain line gets clogged, it can allow water to leak on and around your system and give off a musty smell in your home. Changing your filter will help minimize the amount of dirt that ends up in the condensation that drips from your coils. In addition, consider installing an overflow switch that will shut your system down before a water leak occurs.
- Electrical and power issues. Sometimes your air conditioner can go out because of some sort of electrical issue. For example, your system might overheat and trip the circuit breaker. If that’s the case, you can attempt to flip the circuit breaker switch and see if everything goes back to normal. Other electrical problems, such as bad wiring, can be prevented during a tune-up when we inspect your system’s electrical components.
- Condenser fan problems. There are many reasons why your condenser fan might stop working properly. In addition to scheduling a tune-up so we can inspect your condenser unit, you can help prevent fan problems by removing dirt, leaves and other debris from your outdoor unit and keeping the area within a few feet of it clear of any plants or shrubbery.
If you have any questions about these common air conditioner problems, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Coachella Valley air conditioning contractor.
