Your home’s HVAC system is large and complex. It’s got a heater and an air conditioner. It’s got a thermostat. It’s got ducts to conduct the heated and cooled air throughout your home. It might even have a dehumidifier or an air purifier. So when something goes wrong, it’s not always a problem with the part of the system you think it is.
For much of the year here in Orlando, we use our air conditioners quite heavily. So when we’re not getting the cool air we expect, we’re quick to blame the AC unit. But what if the problem is elsewhere in the HVAC system? How can you tell whether it’s your air conditioner or your ducts having an issue? Here are some clues.
Noises
Many HVAC problems cause unexpected, sudden, strange, or loud noises. In general, if you hear something you haven’t heard before coming from any part of your HVAC system, you need to consult an expert in all things HVAC in Orlando, FL. Noises can be caused by your air conditioner itself or by your ducts.
What type of noise are you hearing? Booming is likely the AC compressor, grinding is usually the blower fan motor, clicking is frequently a sign of an electrical problem, and hissing or trickling is probably a refrigerant leak from the coils. But if you hear a whistle, that’s often caused by air being forced through a crack in a damaged duct.
Where is the noise coming from? That boom would come from the outdoor unit. Grinding from a fan motor could be the indoor or outdoor unit. Hissing or trickling would come from the coils themselves. If there’s a rattle or clatter, it could be the AC or the ducts, so listen for the source of the sound. If it’s coming from inside the walls or behind your vents, your ducts are probably to blame.
Poor Performance
Other than noises, the first thing you’re likely to notice when there’s an HVAC problem is that you’re not getting the quality of comfort that you expect. If you’re not able to keep your home properly cool, is that the air conditioner or the ducts? Again, it could be either.
If the AC system is turning on and off too frequently, the cool air won’t get properly dispersed. This short cycling is an AC problem. If the system won’t turn on, after checking that it hasn’t tripped a circuit breaker, you need AC repair. If the unit runs but none of the vents have cool air blowing from them, chances are, it’s the blower fan motor of the air conditioner that needs to be fixed or replaced.
If cool air is coming from some of your vents but not others, you may have a blocked or disconnected section of ductwork. And if air is coming from your vents, but it’s not nearly as cold or as forceful as you’d expect, you might be losing temperature and pressure because your cooled air is leaking out of damaged ductwork.
Whatever the problem is, you’ll need the help of a qualified HVAC technician who can accurately diagnose it and get it repaired. All of these problems can be fixed, but the repairs will be quicker and less expensive the sooner you have them done. Allowing a problem to continue will give it time to worsen or cause damage to other parts of the system.
Contact Gary Munson Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning repair in Orlando, FL. You’ll be more comfortable with the best!