Heating and air conditioning problems occur due to User error. If you are using your air conditioner, make sure that your home’s windows and exterior doors are closed. If you are using a room air conditioner, you should cut that room off from the rest of your home. Other common sources of heating and air conditioning problems are due to poor installation, insufficient maintenance and inadequate servicing. Now that we know what the causes are, let us look at the air conditioner issues that often result from them.
Common Heating and Air Conditioner Problems
- Unbalanced Dampers
Air coming out of your vent must travel through ducts to get to the rooms in your home. Your ductwork may have a damper used to restrict airflow at the main supply line. If some of your rooms heat or cool more quickly than others, this could be because of dampers that are not balanced. A heating and air conditioning technician can find the right balance to ensure that each of your rooms gets adequate heated or cooled air. - Leaking Refrigerant
If the level of refrigerant in your air conditioner is low, it was either undercharged when it was installed or it has a leak. If there is a leak, you do not want to just add more refrigerant. Instead, contact a heating and air conditioning technician who will be able to fix the leak and test the repair. The heating and air conditioning technician will then add the right amount of refrigerant to the unit. This is important as your air conditioner will only function as it should when the refrigerant level precisely matches the manufacturer’s recommended level. This means that it should have neither too much nor too little.
- Failure of the Electric Controls
The controls for the compressor and the fans can wear out. This is more likely to happen when an air conditioner switches on and off frequently. An air conditioner may do this if it is too large for the space that it has to cool. The result of an over-sized unit is that it cools the space too quickly and then when the space gets to the desired temperature, it switches off. When a unit is correctly sized it will stay on for longer, thus reducing wear on the controls. Also, the wires and terminals in many systems are susceptible to corrosion. Have your heating and air conditioning contractor check your wires when they inspect your system. - Issues With the Thermostat Sensor
This sensor measures the temperature of air going to the evaporator coil. A sensor that is out of position could cause the air conditioner to cycle continuously. It may also cause your HVAC system to act erratically. The correct position for the sensor is for it to be near the coil without coming into contact with it. Your heating and air conditioning contractor should be able to make an adjustment by bending the wire holding it in position.
For the most part, heating and air conditioning equipment is built to last for a long time. If your equipment fails, before doing anything else, check your fuses or circuit breakers. Note that air conditioner failure on a hot day may be because of the high-pressure limit switch being tripped. If this is the case, a button in the compressor’s access panel can be used to reset it. For any type of AC maintenance or advice contact us at Valley Comfort Heating and Air.