Maybe it’s not as sinking and unpleasant a feeling as trying to start your car and having it fail, but turning on an AC during the summer and not having it provide cooling isn’t something you want to experience. But it can happen to even the best cared-for air conditioner. It’s usually nothing that professional air conditioning repair in Westfield, NJ can’t fix!
We’re going to look at why your AC isn’t doing its job so you’ll know when to call our technicians for the repairs that will get your home cool once more. When in doubt, please don’t try to do any DIY work on your air conditioner, since you may cause even more damage to it.
Tripped circuit breaker
The first thing you should do when the air conditioner won’t provide cooling is to see if the system has tripped a circuit breaker. Reset any tripped breaker in the electrical panel and then try to turn on the AC again. If the system starts to run, but then trips the breaker again, there’s a more serious problem in the air conditioner that’s causing one of the motors to overheat. Call for HVAC professionals to see what’s causing the fault.
Dirt along the outdoor coils
The outdoor condenser unit is where the air conditioning system releases the heat moved from inside the house. If the condenser coils in the unit aren’t able to release heat, the air conditioner will lose cooling power. Dirt and grime along the coils make it harder for the coils to do their job. However, you can’t clean off the coils by simply blasting a hose at the condenser grill! You’ll need to have technicians use special chemical cleaners to get the coils clean again.
Ice on the indoor coils
You shouldn’t see ice on any part of your air conditioning system: it means something is wrong with the heat absorption and the refrigerant is staying too cold. When ice forms along the indoor evaporator coils, it will block heat absorption and lead to an air conditioner that isn’t providing any cooling. There are a number of reasons for an iced-over coil, and it’s best to let a professional track down the cause so it can be repaired accurately.
Leaking refrigerant
Your AC has a set amount of refrigerant in it, known as its charge. As we wrote about in our previous post, this charge doesn’t decline over time—unless there are leaks. Loss of refrigerant to leaks means a drop in cooling power and eventually a burned-out compressor. HVAC technicians must seal the leaks and then recharge the refrigerant to its proper level. (An overcharged air conditioner is also at risk of a breakdown.)
Broken thermostat
The trouble may be in the thermostat. A thermostat can lose its connection to the compressor but still be able to turn on and off the fans. If this is the case, the air conditioning system will just blow around room-temperature air. You can have the thermostat repaired, or you may consider upgrading to a new thermostat. Ask your HVAC repair technician about what option is the best for you.
Repair your AC today: Call Air Creations, Inc. “We Do It Right!”
