The Top Five Most Common Air Conditioner Problems

Leaking refrigerant – if your air conditioner is low on refrigerant, it can reduce the efficiency of your unit, freeze the evaporator coil or even cause complete compressor failure. The thing is, the only way your air conditioner can be low on refrigerant is if it was improperly charged on installation or if it has a leak. If you have a refrigerant leak in your air conditioner, simply adding more refrigerant will probably not be enough to solve the problem. A professional HVAC company will be able to fix the refrigerant leaks in your AC.

Many symptoms of leaky refrigerant resemble signs that your filters need to be changed, so before you try the more expensive fix, replace the filters first! If you’ve changed them and your AC still isn’t working, you probably have bigger problems.

Poor maintenance – we’ve said this multiple times, but it bears repeating – seasonal air conditioner maintenance is extremely important to ensuring the continued health of your air conditioner. In many respects, your AC needs as much maintenance as your car – you wouldn’t let that go a whole year without service, would you? There are a number of things that can happen to your air conditioner if you don’t take good care of it: from relatively minor things like your coils getting dirty to serious problems like your compressor or fan completely failing!

Electrical Control Failure – if your air conditioner cycles on and off frequently (as often happens when it is oversized) it can cause the compressor and fan controls to wear out. And even if your system is properly sized, the corrosion of metals and wires over time can lead to problems in AC operation. Make sure your HVAC technician checks all the connections during your AC checkup.

Heat sensor problems – this one is really only a problem with room air conditioners, which usually feature a thermostat sensor that measures the temperature of the air coming into the evaporator coil. If the sensor is thrown off somehow, it may cause the air conditioner to behave erratically, cycling on and off improperly or simply shutting off completely. The sensor should be located near the coil, but should not actually touch it – you can adjust its position by carefully adjusting the wire that holds the sensor in place.

Drainage problems – if it’s humid outside, the condensate drain on your air conditioner could become clogged. Check this out, and if it’s clogged, try to clear it.

Making sure your ducts are clean — we’ve espoused the benefits of regular duct cleaning before, but to make sure they’re totally safe, you’ve got to be careful of what goes into them in the first place. Harmful fumes, such as those from paint, cleaning supplies, tobacco smoke and even cooking are some of the primary causes of poor indoor air quality. You can install an air purifier or an electronic air cleaner to keep most of these harmful fumes out of your HVAC system.

Make sure your air return ducts are functioning properly – air return ducts are the unsung heroes of your HVAC system, ensuring consistent, comfortable heating and air conditioning that improves ventilation, air quality and overall temperature inside your home. When your return air ducts aren’t functioning the way they are supposed to, it can cause your heater or air conditioner to have to work harder, increasing wear and tear on your equipment. If rooms with walls that face the outside of your house are a different temperature than rooms that are further in, have a professional come and check them out – there could be a problem with your return ducts.

Keep track of the other supporting players – to really maximize the efficiency of your ducts, make sure you team up an energy efficient air conditioner or heater and duct system with things like energy efficient windows, doors, attics, crawl spaces, basements, etc. Without proper joints and sealants, it doesn’t really matter how efficient your system is – you’re going to lose a lot of your conditioned air outside.

If you need duct cleaning or want a professional HVAC company to come out and see how you can maximize the efficiency of your ducts, call Davis AC today!