Your HVAC runs around the clock throughout the summer, keeping your home cool and your family comfortable. But sometimes, your air conditioning unit may randomly malfunction, leaving you wondering if you should try fixing it yourself.
While you can solve some of the issues without help from a pro, nine times out of ten, you’ll be facing a proverbial mystery.
HVAC systems are complex pieces of machinery, and a single malfunction can exhibit symptoms that overlap with a variety of other problems - making troubleshooting nearly impossible for most homeowners.
This is why you should be aware of some common air conditioner symptoms, which are signs you need to start looking for HVAC experts.
Here are the top nine:
If you’ve set your desired temperature but your AC simply can’t keep up with your demands, chances are you’ve got a problem. To quickly test if it’s just your mind playing tricks on you, put your hand over a vent. If the air is warm, you may have a serious issue with your airflow.
It could be that your air filters are blocked, condenser coils are dirty, or if you’re very unlucky, you have a refrigerant leak.
Hearing the motor of an HVAC humming or air moving through the vents is perfectly fine, but anything more could be a sign of a major malfunction.
For example, if you hear hissing noises, you may have a refrigerant leak, and if your system bangs and clangs when the motor powers on, it could be an indication of a faulty compressor.
The rule of thumb is that whenever you hear anything out of the ordinary, it’s high time to book an appointment with your local HVAC experts.
If no air is leaving your vents, it’s easy to conclude you have a severe problem on your hands. Sure, the ducts themselves may be blocked, but it's more likely that your compressor has blown.
To be on the safe side, check the state of your air filter and replace it. If that doesn’t help, you’ll need a professional HVAC technician who can troubleshoot your entire system and quickly restore it to its working condition.
Your AC can start emitting foul odors, usually out of the blue. To make matters worse, this occurrence is never a good sign. For instance, a musty smell could indicate there is a mold infestation somewhere in your system, while a smell of burning plastic could point to an electrical fire.
Both are dangerous and can put your health and your home at risk, which is why you should look for HVAC experts as soon as possible.
Short cycling occurs once your AC starts a cooling cycle, shuts down, and then starts a cooling cycle again in a short period.
It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out this could have negative effects on your HVAC system. For starters, it causes unnecessary wear and tear, which can lead to a blown-out compressor, while at the same times iit leads to higher energy bills.
The question is: why would your unit short cycle in the first place?
The reason behind it could be as simple as a dirty filter, but in some cases, it points to frozen evaporator coils or issues with the thermostat. In the worst-case scenario, the culprit is low refrigerant levels.
Any system inefficiency will translate into unreasonable energy bills. Regardless if this happens due to a refrigerant leak, airflow problems, or short cycling, you shouldn’t take it lightly. Running your AC in this state wastes money and also increases the chance of developing more serious issues.
This is why you should contact HVAC experts who can find the source of your HVAC’s inefficiency and sort it out.
Your unit is full of condensation that gets funneled through a condensate line - at least when everything is working as intended. If you see any liquids dripping from your vents or any other parts of your system, there is most likely a blockage stopping the water from freely leaving your system.
If that happens, reach out to your local HVAC experts. They can dismantle the unit, get rid of any clogs, and seal any holes that impede the regular draining process in your HVAC system.
Even though we’re talking about Florida which has ridiculously high humidity levels, your home shouldn’t be excessively humid if your HVAC is working properly.
If you suddenly notice a spike in the humidity, your first impulse should be to get in touch with HVAC experts who can get to the bottom of the issue.
9. Your System is Too Old
Finally, just like all of us get older and start experiencing random pain (no matter how hard we try not to), a similar thing happens to our HVAC system.
While some units may last up to 15 years with proper maintenance, all the accumulated wear and tear will eventually catch, so to speak. Mechanical parts will fail more often and the system will be unable to keep up with the temperature demands of your home.
In the event you notice issues like poor cooling performance along with a spike in energy bills, and your system is approaching the 15-year-old mark, we have some bad news - you may need to replace it with a newer model.
With all of the issues we listed above, the longer you wait, the more problems will develop. In most cases, the new issues will be significantly more expensive to repair.
To avoid the classic ‘’could have, should have, would have’’ situation, get in touch with the right HVAC experts in your area.
If you need an AC repair in Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, or St Lucie counties, you can’t go wrong with technicians at
Aztil Air Conditioning.
We offer
24/7 emergency services, competitive prices without sacrificing quality, and we enjoy helping our fellow Florida citizens with their HVAC troubles.
Ring us up now at
+1-888-123-6789 to schedule an appointment and we’ll be there shortly!
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