August is often the hottest, most grueling month of the summer—and it’s a time when many air conditioning systems will start to experience malfunctions because of all the stress that’s been put on them. This is a good time to go over a list of the most common AC problems that can crop up, because this is when you’re most likely to run into one of them and have your comfort put in jeopardy!
If your AC runs afoul from one of the troubles below, you can find excellent professional repair service for your air conditioning in Northbrook, IL with just a call to our team. We’re available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
ONE: Trouble With the Blower Fan
The blower fan is the large fan in the indoor unit of the air conditioner that sends warm indoor air across the evaporator coil, cooling it down. The air then continues into the ventilation system and the rest of the house. If this fan isn’t working right, you’ll have a problem with air that isn’t cool enough and airflow that’s too weak. This fan can malfunction because of a worn-down motor. Dust and lack of lubrication may cause the motor to overheat and put a major dent in your comfort. Technicians will need to either repair the motor or fix it.
TWO: Trouble With the Outdoor Exhaust Fan
There’s another crucial fan for the operation of the AC, and that’s the one in the outdoor cabinet. It does the job of running outdoor air across the condenser coil to allow for the release of heat, which the fan then exhausts. If this fan’s motor malfunctions, the air conditioner will lose its ability to cool.
THREE: Refrigerant Leaks
The refrigerant in an AC must remain at its factory set level or else the change in pressure in the system will put the entire cooling system in jeopardy. So not only will you lose indoor cooling, you may have a permanently busted AC when the compressor burns out. Fixing this requires professionals to seal the leaks before adding in the correct amount of refrigerant. (You don’t want too much refrigerant added—that is as bad as too little.)
FOUR: Frozen evaporator coil
People often assume that ice on the evaporator coil isn’t a serious problem. Just a part of how the AC works. But this is false: the ice means the coil isn’t absorbing enough heat for some reason. It’s not a problem you can solve by scraping off the ice, which may damage the coils.
FIVE: Condensate drain clog
The condensate moisture from the AC’s evaporator coil falls into a pan and then is drained out through a condensate drain. The drain can become clogged with algal growth, and when this happens the overflow from the pan will trigger a switch that will shut down the AC. Call for technicians to clean out the drain so the AC can get back to work.