As the cooling season draws to a close, you might hope you won’t need to have your air conditioner serviced until next spring. You might even be thinking about having your furnace serviced to prepare it for the upcoming heating season. But there are some things you definitely don’t want to put off repairing. If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to schedule AC repair in Suwanee, GA.
New Noises
Of course, air conditioners make noise. But a change in the noises your AC unit makes can indicate a variety of problems. Hissing or bubbling could mean your refrigerant is leaking. Clattering or rattling could mean a component such as a duct or fan is loose. Ticking can be a sign of an electrical problem. A loud boom at the start of the cooling cycle is probably a failure in the compressor. If you’re familiar with the normal sounds of your air conditioner, you’ll notice something new. Don’t ignore it: a small problem can become a big problem if you continue to run the unit without repairing it.
Limited Airflow
If your air conditioner is running, but you can barely feel a trickle of cold air, it’s not going to be able to do its job effectively. In fact, it’s probably costing you more in energy bills by continuing to work harder and harder trying to push out cool air. It might be caused by loose ductwork allowing that cool air to come out somewhere else—outdoors, perhaps, or in an unoccupied space. Or, there could be trapped air within the system, leading to frozen coils.
Lukewarm Air
If the air flows out of the air conditioner, but it never seems to be cold enough, you’ll also likely waste money using electricity without getting your home to a comfortable temperature. Perhaps there’s a refrigerant leak, so there’s simply no longer enough refrigerant in the coils to soak up the heat from your home and release it outside. Or perhaps an internal component is overheating, warming the air as it comes out the vent.
Short Cycling
Because the startup is the most energy-intensive part of the cooling cycle, air conditioners are meant to run in longer cycles of 15–20 minutes. If the air conditioner is starting and stopping every few minutes, it needs to be looked at by a technician. Again, running this way uses more electricity and drives up utility bills. Also, left unchecked, this could cause strain to other components and even potentially damage the compressor.
So why do you need to have these issues addressed immediately? Prompt repair can lower your energy bills, ensure that more damage is not caused by the AC unit operating improperly, and extend the life of your air conditioner. And why do you need to have it done by a qualified professional? Air conditioners contain components that can be hazardous. Technicians are licensed to handle refrigerant safely, and highly trained to safely address electrical issues.
For safe, prompt AC service, contact DC Cheek Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today. Fixed, At the Speed of Life!
