Top 7 home air conditioning problems
The following are some of the most common home air conditioning problems.
Filter: Most home air conditioning systems will use an air filter. Ideally, the filter should be replaced once a month. This is one of the most commonly overlooked parts of an air conditioner. Therefore most people forget about it. Dirty filters reduce the quality of air coming through, and restrict proper airflow.
Circuit breakers: A tripped circuit breaker is another cause for home air conditioning problems. In most cases, all that is required is resetting it. Make sure it is reset before calling a technician. Only call a technician if the breaker continues to malfunction. The most common causes for a tripped breaker are bad capacitor and loose wires. Fixing a faulty breaker is easy and straightforward, however, if not dealt with in time, it can cause damage to the air conditioning unit.
Refrigerant problems: A home air conditioner at the core is after all a type of refrigerator. This means over time the refrigerant system can develop leaks. When this happens the efficiency of the air conditioner will naturally suffer. The amount of cool air will reduce and the coil my freeze. This type of home air conditioning problems relatively easy to repair.
Indoor switch: Many air conditioning and heating systems have a wall switch indoors. Many people confuse this with light switches, and turn it off without knowing. Obviously, if this switch has been turned off, the air conditioner will not start.
Thermostat: Some thermostats need to be alternated between cooling and heating mode. If the switch that controls this function is in the wrong mode or malfunctions, the air conditioner will not turn on.
Faulty contactor: A contactor is a device which automatically switches the air conditioner off, when the room reaches the set temperature. It is an internal temperature control regulator. On older units the contactor will lose its capacity to turn off the air conditioner. The result is an air conditioner that continuously runs. Ants clogging the contactor can also be the problem. Either way, replacing or cleaning the contactor will do the trick.
Drain lines: Air conditioners are designed to pull humidity from the air, to lower the temperature thus lower air conditioning calculations. This residual moisture is usually drained through the plumbing system of the house. Over time, algae will start to grow on the drain lines and clog them. Ideally, drain lines should be cleaned up once a year or whenever an air conditioning tune up is done.
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