Even though we’re an air conditioning repair company in Riverside, CA, it wouldn’t be in our conscience to simply let your air conditioner develop repair issues. That’s why, every year, we urge homeowners to have your systems tuned-up just after winter and before summer.
That’s the perfect time to have it inspected and prevent some of the worst AC issues. Some of them will be expensive to fix, while others can be hard to detect and might raise your cooling bill substantially until it’s fixed.
Airflow Issues
If the AC is taking longer to cool the home than usual, it’s easy to chalk it up to your imagination. However, it could actually be the result of a low airflow issue. This is a very real problem and one that can result in higher cooling bills. In the meantime, it might lead you to simply assume that you’ve been using the AC more than usual.
A thorough maintenance visit will inspect your system from top to bottom. Not just the unit itself, but even the ducts should be inspected to ensure that there are no leaks or obstructions.
Frozen Coils
Air conditioners use a component called the evaporator coil to help facilitate the transfer of heat. This coil is located in the indoor unit, and its job is to help absorb heat from the air. As a result, the air around the evaporator coil becomes cold.
However, if something interferes with the air conditioner’s normal cooling process, it can result in the evaporator coil becoming abnormally cold—until the point that it freezes over. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to notice their evaporator coil covered in frost and to simply assume that it’s all part of normal operations.
Preventive maintenance can help ensure that frozen coils never happen in the first place by eliminating the most common causes, like refrigerant leaks, clogged air filters, and compressor problems.
Overheating
At the other end, you have the condenser coil. This one is located in the AC’s outdoor unit, and it lets off heat into the outdoor air. One of the drawbacks of the condenser coil being outside is that it’s exposed to the elements. Namely, dust, dirt, and debris can cover the unit and begin acting as an insulator. This can cause the unit to overheat until the entire AC shuts down.
Short Cycling
Air conditioners go through cooling cycles. The system turns on, blows cool air for several minutes, and then turns off for a while. But if these cycles occur rapidly, you’ve got a short cycling problem. Sometimes the only solution for short cycling is a replacement, but you should always have a maintenance check performed before taking any drastic measured.
Refrigerant Leak
As mentioned previously, refrigerant leaks can cause coils to freeze over, but that’s just the start. These leaks can severely diminish the performance of your AC and lead to compressor failure.
A refrigerant leak begins as a pinhole leak—a tiny leak that releases negligible amounts of refrigerant. However, those leaks will inevitably expand until the amount of refrigerant lost begins having adverse effects on the system. Fortunately, they can be detected and remedied with AC maintenance if given a chance to be found.
Contact RKM Heating and Air Conditioning to schedule AC maintenance!