No one likes to have their air conditioner break down on them in the middle of a hot summer day. Yet, summer is the time of year when your air conditioner is most likely to develop problems of various kinds. Preventive maintenance helps to keep your air conditioner in fairly good shape throughout the year, but it is by no means a guarantee. You need to keep an eye out for any warning signs that indicate your air conditioner is having issues. One of the more common warning signs that a lot of homeowners notice is if the system suddenly stops cooling as well as it should.
Clogged Air Filter
A lot of people don’t know that they have to change the air filter in their air conditioner every three months while the system is in heavy use. Most people don’t even know that their air conditioner has an air filter. It does, and if the filter isn’t changed often enough it will eventually become clogged. A clogged air filter will cut off most of the air in the ducts from making it into the air conditioner. No air flowing into the air conditioner means no air for the system to cool and circulate throughout the home. This can lead to other problems down the road, so it’s important that you change your air filter if you suspect that this is the reason the system is not cooling.
Refrigerant Leaks
Slightly more serious than a clogged air filter is a refrigerant leak. The air conditioner relies on refrigerant to siphon heat from inside the home and release it outside. In other words, the system can’t function at all without a refrigerant charge. As the refrigerant level in the air conditioner drops lower due to a leak, the system’s ability to cool the air properly will drop as well. If your air conditioner is blowing air just fine, but it doesn’t seem as cool as it normally is, then you might have a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant leaks can cause the air conditioner to fail after a while, so make sure that you call for repairs as soon as you suspect this of becoming a problem.
Short Cycling
Short cycling involves the system turning itself off before it completes a full cooling cycle. While this does obviously cut into the system’s cooling ability, the more dangerous part of this issue is that it increases the wear that the air conditioner accumulates over time. Prolonged short cycling makes it much more likely for the air conditioner to develop other problems or break down permanently. This is why it’s so important to have a technician check out your system as soon as you suspect it of short cycling.
These are just a few of the possible reasons why your air conditioner might not be cooling as well as it should be. You should always have a technician check out your system if you suspect it of having problems that are preventing it from operating properly.
Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling provides comprehensive air conditioning repair services in North Wales, PA. If you need AC repairs, contact us today for an appointment.