When you know—or even just suspect—that something is wrong with your air conditioner, it can be tempting to wait and see. Will it be okay for a while longer, so you don’t have to worry about repairs right away? Will it somehow magically fix itself? No! Don’t postpone AC repair. Having a technician check out any air conditioning problems as soon as possible will make a big difference. Here’s what we mean.
Problems Start Small
Many AC issues begin with something quite small. Take, for example, a slightly odd new sound that your air conditioner never made before. Now, the AC is still running. It’s not spitting sparks or emitting a cloud of black smoke. Is this strange rattling sound really something you need to worry about?
A rattle might be something as simple as a loose screw or wobbly fan. Not a big deal! A technician can locate the source of the sound and get everything properly secured into position with ease. But what if you don’t have it repaired? Whatever component is rattling might fly loose entirely! It could hit other components! It could cause costly damage! Now you’ll need serious repairs.
What if the sound is a bubble or a hiss? This is probably refrigerant leaking from the coils. If it continues, there won’t be enough refrigerant for the air conditioner to properly cool your house. Oddly, ice can start to build up on the evaporator coils from this problem. This insulates them, further preventing heat from being absorbed, leaving your home even hotter. And all the while, more and more refrigerant is leaking out.
Problems Cause Inefficiency
In addition to having an air conditioner that’s making a worrisome noise and not getting your home cool enough, you’ll also end up paying extra for the lousy job it’s doing. Your electric bill will get higher and higher. Why? Because an air conditioner that’s struggling to cope with a problem has to work harder and run more of the time, so it will use more energy than it should.
Perhaps there’s a problem with the blower fan motor. It’s lacking lubrication, or the bearings have worn down, or perhaps it’s an electrical issue. Regardless, the motor is getting too hot. The limit switch is triggered by the heat. It shuts down the system for safety. Everything cools down for a moment or two. Then the thermostat calls for cooling, the system starts up, and the whole thing happens over again.
This is called short cycling. It will prevent even cooling throughout your home because the system never runs long enough for the cool air to be properly distributed. But it will also consume a ton of extra energy, because the startup is the part of the cycle with the greatest energy demand. Now, instead of happening three or four times an hour, it’s happening every three or four minutes!
Many other problems cause excessive energy consumption as well. Don’t pay more to get less! And don’t let a little issue turn into a totally broken-down air conditioner. Get prompt air conditioning repair in Winter Park, FL.
Contact Gary Munson Heating & Air Conditioning for AC maintenance and repair in Orlando, FL. You’ll be more comfortable with the best!