As inconvenient as it is, summer is the most common time of year for air conditioners to develop problems of various kinds. It makes sense if you think about it. Summer is when the system is placed under the most strain, so of course it’s going to be more prone to breaking down when you need it the most. Preventive maintenance scheduled on a consistent basis goes a long way towards keeping the air conditioner healthy, but it’s not a perfect solution. You still need to be very careful of signs that manifest between maintenance appointments of issues with your air conditioner. Make sure that you call for repairs if you notice any off the problems below with your system.
Low Output
An air conditioner without the ability to cool properly frankly doesn’t have much of a reason to exist. If your air conditioner is experiencing problems generating enough output, don’t just ignore it! Far too many homeowners wait to deal with their air conditioners’ falling output levels until it’s too late to do anything about it without massive repair bills. If your output level for your air conditioner is low, you should do something about it sooner rather than later.
There are two possible manifestations of low air conditioner output: low airflow and warmer temperatures than their should be. Low airflow could be caused by an air handler malfunction, problems with the ducts, or even a clogged air filter. Warmer air, however, is often caused by a refrigerant leak. Less refrigerant available in the system means less for the air conditioner to use to cool the home. Regardless of which kind of low output you are experiencing, you need a professional to fix these issues for you.
Short Cycling
Short cycling is a common problem in which the air conditioner becomes unable to complete a full cooling cycle. Instead, it turns on and off within the span of a couple minutes ad infinitum until the issue is resolved. This prevents the air conditioner from cooling the home properly, obviously. But it also means that the system wears down a lot faster than it should. Prolonged short cycling increases the chances for other problems developing, and shortens the lifespan of the system. This is why short cycling should be dealt with immediately if you find it.
Spikes in Monthly Costs
Sort of the opposite of short cycling, unexplained spikes in monthly costs could indicate that the air conditioner is working harder and longer than it should be. This could be the result of a number of different issues, of course, but regardless of which one it is you should take steps to address it. Contact a professional technician and have them look over the system for you if it starts costing more to operate each month than you feel is justified by how much you use it.
Desert Suns Heating & Cooling Inc. offers air conditioning repair services in Albuquerque, NM. Contact us today for an appointment with one of our professional technicians. Â