Cooling your home in Waynesboro, VA, this spring should be as simple as turning on the air conditioner and going about your daily business. However, there are a variety of symptoms that may tell you your cooling system isn’t quite up to par and may be on the verge of a breakdown. Read on to learn about some common warning signs that you could be headed for an AC breakdown so you know when to call for repairs.
Warm or Hot Air
When you turn on the air conditioner this spring, you expect a blast of cold air to blow out of your vents and cool your house quickly. If you get warm or even hot air, that’s a sign that something isn’t working properly inside the system. When your AC pumps hot air, you might have a clogged air filter, dirty coils or inner components, low refrigerant, or a heat exchange issue.
Weak and Insufficient Airflow
The amount of air blowing through your HVAC vents should be strong and sufficient enough to cool your home without extra strain from your system. If you spot weakened airflow or no air from the vents at all, you’ll need reliable professional repairs. Insufficient or nonexistent airflow can be the result of a dirty system, weak compressor or faulty fan inside the air conditioner.
Increased Energy Demand
As spring continues and you start getting utility bills that include the cost of cooling, you might see a spike in energy consumption. If the amount is much higher than normal when using your air conditioner, you may have an efficiency issue. This decreased efficiency is often due to the system working harder to produce enough cold air and may indicate damaged or worn parts inside the AC.
Strange or Loud Noises
While relaxing in the cool comfort of your air-conditioned home, you don’t normally hear loud and unusual noises. Banging and clanging may be the result of loose or damaged parts, while whistling indicates a pressure issue or leaking refrigerant. Hissing, bubbling and screeching all also may mean that your refrigerant line has a leak.
Other sounds you might hear that signal a need for immediate service include vibrating and rattling. Those often mean something in your system is loose.
Unusual Smells
Air conditioning shouldn’t cause your home to smell bad. If your cooling system or conditioned air emits a strange smell, you’ll need professional services to fix the issue causing the odor. A strong exhaust scent might indicate a fluid leak, burning smells could signal an electrical issue and a dirty-sock odor might be a sign of a dirty or contaminated system.
Rapid and Frequent Cycling
Your air conditioner cycles on when your thermostat tells it that your home needs more cold air to reach the desired temperature. Once it reaches that temperature, the thermostat tells it to quit. If your air conditioner cycles frequently with short cycles not long enough to cool your home, it may cause excess stress on the internal parts of the AC.
Non-Stop Operation
On the opposite end of the spectrum, your air conditioner may continue to operate on a procticallty endless cycle, refusing to stop running until you manually shut it down with the switch on the thermostat. When this happens, your air conditioner is in a malfunctioning mode that may be the result of inadequate cold air. The cooling system may continue to operate as it attempts to reach the target air temperature, though it may never be able to due to low refrigerant, frozen coils or another internal issue that prevents adequate cooling.
Your home’s air conditioner has dozens of different parts and components that work together to create sufficient cold air for your home. When any part of the system fails, you might experience unusual, inefficient or insufficient cooling. If you spot any signs of trouble with your cooling system, call our expert technicians at Valley Air Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today so we can make air conditioner repairs and help you stay comfortable this spring.
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