If you’ve ever spent a hot summer in Florida with a home or business plagued with air conditioner problems, it’s an experience you probably don’t want to repeat! Don’t leave your summer comfort to chance! Learn about some of the common air conditioner problems that can arise, and the steps that you can take to prevent repairs. But if you do run into an AC problem this summer, don’t hesitate to call Super Heat & Air, your 24/hr Tampa Bay AC repair specialists. Luckily, most of these common air conditioning problems can normally be repaired:
Low Refrigerant
Refrigerant is used by your air conditioner to remove the heat and humidity from the air in your home or business. If your A/C system develops leaks in its refrigerant lines, you can end up with a system that cannot effectively cool the air. If you do have a leak in your refrigerant line, an HVAC repair technician can fix the leaks and repair the holes in the lines, and then refill the refrigerant. You can avoid costly repairs due to leaks by setting up seasonal inspections of your HVAC system.
Related Article: Why You Shouldn’t Wait Until Summer for An Ac Tune Up
Frozen Evaporator Coils
Your air conditioner’s evaporator coil is filled with refrigerant and is responsible for absorbing the heat and the air in your home like a sponge. While it might seem counterintuitive, these coils need warm air to circulate around them to work properly. When there is an issue with the airflow, and the evaporator coil gets too cold, a layer of ice can build up on the outside, which causes warm air or nothing at all to blow from your A/C unit. You might even notice water leaks coming from your A/C. The best thing to do in this situation is shut it off and call Super Heat & Air to troubleshoot and inspect the problem.
Dirty Condenser Coils
Your AC unit’s condenser coils are part of the outdoor unit, and get rid of the heat that is removed from the air by expelling it outside the building. If the condenser coil is covered with a layer of dirt and grime, it won’t be able to do its job properly. When the condenser coil gets clogged, heat transfer can be impeded which can put strain on your AC system and can lead to increased wear on its parts, an even system failure. Ensuring that the condenser coils are clean can also decrease your energy bills!
Fan Problems
Your A/C unit has two fans, one that blows indoor air over your unit’s evaporator coil to cool the air, and one that blows air over the outdoor unit’s condenser to expel absorbed heat outside of the building. If either of these fans aren’t working properly–due to a faulty motor, lack of lubrication, worn belts, or debris – you can end up with poor air flow and other air conditioner problems. If this problem is neglected, it can ultimately lead to compressor failure and a death sentence for your AC unit!
Leaking Ducts
The ductwork that runs through your walls and ceilings carries cooled air from the air conditioner throughout your space. If there are holes or breaks in the ducts, that expensive cooled air ends up inside your walls and ceiling. This can cause your air conditioner to work harder to maintain coolness in your space and drive up your energy bills.
Thermostat Problems
If you have old dial-type thermostats, they could be incorrectly calibrated which means that your air conditioner isn’t receiving the correct instructions from the control system/ This can easily be fixed by recalibrating your thermostats. If you have new programmable thermostats, they might not have been programmed correctly. If you have the manual, check the instructions to ensure that the thermostat settings are correct.
Pro Tip: Be sure to replace any low batteries in your thermostat!
Clogged Drains
The moisture that your air conditioner removes from the air has to go somewhere. It is removed from the space through a drain line, into a pan, and finally down the drain. If the line of drain gets clogged, or the pan gets full, the water can back up and damage your system. You could also wind up with water leaks that can damage your ceiling and walls! ( This can lead to the growth of mold)
Pro Tip: Often a full or clogged pan will cause the unit to shut off completely. Once this has been drained, unclogged, and cleaned, the unit can turn back on.
Easy ways to prevent A/C Problems:
Replace dirty air filters : dirty air filters can cause frozen coils
Inspect ducts + fix any holes : If it seems like there’s not enough air coming from the registers, or your energy bills keep going up, have an HVAC expert take a look at the condition of your ducts.
Install new thermostats: Eliminate issues with old style thermostats and get a new thermostat which is more precise and save energy. Some can even be controlled remotely by your smartphone!
Clear brush + debris from around the outside unit: When the condenser and outdoor fan unit get clogged with leaves, trash and dirt, the unit can’t expel heat as effectively.
Don’t neglect regular maintenance: Virtually all of the most common causes of air conditioner problems can be easily prevented with regular maintenance. Have an HVAC expert from Super Heat & Air come in to inspect and tune up your system each spring before starting it up for the first time. It’s relatively inexpensive, and you’ll save yourself from having to make that emergency call when the AC stops working on the hottest day of the year.
Is your HVAC unit blowing out warm air instead of cool? Do you notice your energy bills increasing? Give us a call at Super Heat & Air and we will troubleshoot your AC problems and get your unit back to running efficiently! (813) 279-8213
