The peak heat of the summer season means some pretty tough days when you’re outside. When you’re in your house with your dependable air conditioning system, it’s much different. The AC sends around cool air to the rooms and maintains a pleasantly cool and comfortable environment.
But your air conditioning system has to do a large amount of work to keep your house at a comfortable temperature when the heat outside is so intense. More heat outdoors means heat moves faster inside your house, and the AC must run for longer periods to keep the temperature at the setting you want. This is why we recommend keeping the thermostat setting as high as you find comfortable, since the smaller the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, the slower heat moves indoors.
But no matter how you set your thermostat, your central AC is under a great deal of work stress at this time of year—and this may lead to problems requiring air conditioning service in Chicago, IL.
Air filter clogs
The first problem is one you can easily fix on your own, provided you know what it is. The air filter on your AC system collects dust and debris much faster when the air conditioner runs often. We recommend checking on the filter once a month since it will probably need to be changed that regularly. Leaving a clogged filter in place will lower system efficiency, slow down airflow, cause the blower motor to overheat, or even lead to ice appearing on the evaporator coil.
Condensate drain problems
As your AC runs, it pulls moisture out of the air and lets it drip down into a pan, where a condensate drain removes it. During the peak of summer heat and humidity, the AC may be overwhelmed with the amount of condensate water it has to flush out, which can cause the AC to shut down or for mold and mildew to start developing inside of it. This can be especially troublesome if the condensate drain becomes clogged. If you see water dripping out of the AC cabinet, call for repairs right away.
Overloaded fans and dying capacitors
The blower fan that sends warm air into the air conditioner and on into the ventilation system works even when the AC’s compressor isn’t running. This makes it one of the parts that can easily have its motor overloaded. Usually, it will trip a circuit breaker when this happens. If circuit breakers continue to trip, it’s a warning sign the motor needs repair or even replacement. Capacitors, the electric components that send voltage to the motors, are also suspect to overheating—which means non-working motors. HVAC technicians can put in new capacitors.
Dirty outdoor coils
The outdoor cabinet has had plenty of time this summer to start to pick up dirt, leaves, mulch, and more. When these coils are dirty, they cannot effectively release heat to the outside, and the air conditioner will rapidly lose cooling power and eventually overheat. Call our technicians to remove the coils and give them a thorough cleaning.
ServiceMax is open 24/7, all day, every day! Reach us for air conditioning repair service the moment you need help.