Reno experiences incredibly hot summers, and because of that, AC units have become a necessity in almost every home. There will be times when you won’t need it, especially around winter days. But by the time summer trickles in, your air conditioning unit will likely stay on for a while. And you wouldn’t want it to break on you suddenly. Yet, it’s inevitable.
The more you use your AC unit, the higher the chances of damaging it. To help you, here’s a list of common air conditioner problems and how you can fix and prevent them from happening again:
Dirty Filters and Coils
Perhaps, the most common problem your AC will encounter is dirty filters and coils. When these parts are poorly maintained, your AC unit will struggle to work correctly. It will probably eat up twice as much energy as before just to stay efficient — and it can reflect on your monthly bills.
It’s relatively easy to fix and avoid this problem. Clean the filters at least once a week when you’re using it daily. Also, call AC and air duct cleaning professionals in Reno at least twice a year for servicing.
Leaking Refrigerant
There are two probable causes behind your AC’s low refrigerant level. It’s either it was undercharged during the installation or the refrigerant has been leaking. If it’s the latter, it’s not something that you can fix on your own.
One sign of leaking refrigerant is the fluctuating room temperature. This can be a problem since your unit’s efficiency has a lot to do with its coolant levels. Also, it’s a serious issue as leaking refrigerants can be harmful to your family’s health and the environment.
Simply adding refrigerant, however, won’t suffice. You need a technician to fix the leak before adding refrigerant. Make sure to pinpoint and repair the cause of the leak immediately.
Frozen Evaporator Coils
Every AC unit’s evaporator coils are filled with refrigerant. The refrigerant helps absorb heat from the air and allow your unit to blow cold air into the room, making you comfortable on a summer day. However, something can disrupt the proper airflow of your AC and freeze your evaporator coil. It’s something you don’t want to happen since the coil needs to be warm to work properly. Otherwise, you’ll get warm air blowing from the AC unit or no air at all.
There are a few things you can do, depending on the root cause of the issue. Cleaning the coils and the filter may be enough for some cases. You can also check around the house and see if there’s anything that blocks cold air return grilles. In most cases, it’s best to have the coil issue checked by an AC technician to determine its root cause and fix it accordingly.
An AC unit is an integral part of any home that experiences hot summer days. Be to address any issue promptly. Most importantly, schedule maintenance services regularly since many common AC problems stem from poor maintenance.
