Common Air Conditioning Problems Common Air Conditioning Problems Air conditioners can fail at any time without warning. If you live in a climate that’s as hot and humid as Atlanta’s, you are asking a lot of your air conditioner!  You probably know since living in this warm climate that any air conditioner outages can result in significant discomfort rather quickly. Many air conditioning problems are a result of insufficient maintenance.  The easiest repair is one that’s avoided altogether by keeping up on regular maintenance check-ups.  In fact, if you haven’t been keeping up on your maintenance and notice your air conditioner starting to slack, a maintenance check-up may be just what you need to get your air conditioner back up to speed.  Some common problems homeowners experience that go beyond regular maintenance and should have checked out include: the compressor failing to turn on, the air not coming out cool enough, low airflow, and leaks. Below are some ways you can diagnose air conditioning problems, descriptions of some common problems your air conditioning system may experience, and some special issues you should know about the refrigerant (freon) in your system.

Ways to diagnose a problem: Check fuse box or circuit breaker.  First thing to do if your air conditioner is not functioning properly is to check the fuse box or circuit breaker that services the unit.  The fuse may need to be replaced or the circuit breaker reset. Air conditioner turns on and off frequently.  The compressor and fan controls may be worn out. Unit turning on but not cooling.  If your unit is turning on, but the air isn’t cooling efficiently, your refrigerant may be low.  You may also need to clean off the evaporator or condenser coils by brushing them off or vacuuming them.  In addition, the filter may need to be replaced.  Clogged, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system’s efficiency considerably.Dirty air filters and/or closed or obstructed supply-air and return-air grilles may cause insufficient airflow through your system.These are usually associated with low refrigerant or a clogged drain pipe.  Clogs can be fixed by clearing out the clogged pipe within the evaporator coil pan. 

Leaks should always be handled by a professional HVAC contractor. Common air conditioning problems:If your air conditioner is low on refrigerant, either it was undercharged at installation or it leaks.  If it leaks, simply adding refrigerant is not a solution.  A trained AC technician should fix any leak, test the repair and then charge the system with the correct amount of refrigerant.  Remember that the performance and efficiency of your air conditioner is greatest when the refrigerant charge exactly matches the manufacturer’s specification, and is neither undercharged nor overcharged.  In addition, refrigerant leaks can be harmful to the environment.If you allow filters and air conditioning coils to become dirty, the air conditioner will not work properly, and the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely. Electronic Controls and Sensors Failure.  The electronic controls and sensor that cause your air conditioner, fan and condenser to kick off and on properly are often the first components to go. 

Sometimes these sensors are merely knocked out of position causing the air conditioner to cycle constantly or behave erratically.  Fortunately, problems of this nature are easy to address compared to larger mechanical failures, and won’t cost you nearly as much.fan coil unit smell Fan and Condenser Failure.  york air handling unit catalogueFan and condenser failure, on the other hand, can add up to some pretty pricey repairs.  putting freon in an ac unitReplacing burnt-out fan motors is usually worth the expense in order to get your air conditioner up and running again, though a failed condenser can be a different story.  A new condenser is the most expensive AC repair in the books, and depending on the age and efficiency of your current air conditioner, it might be a smarter investment to just upgrade to a newer unit.

Special Note About Air Conditioner Refrigerant (Freon): Contrary to popular belief, air conditioners do not consume refrigerant (freon) as a car consumes oil, so under ideal conditions it would never need changing or filling.  Therefore, a low freon level indicates a leak which should be repaired before adding more.  While most new system connections are welded to minimize leaks, many older units (8+ years) were connected with mechanical flared fittings, which can vibrate loose over the years, causing leaks. Problems with freon leaks: Low freon levels reduce efficiency of the air conditioner. They can freeze the evaporator coil, causing it to literally ice up. Freon is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) controlled substance, deemed hazardous if released into the environment. The heart of the unit is the compressor, which is cooled by the refrigerant.  Over time, low freon levels can cause overheating and premature failure of the compressor, often requiring complete replacement of the compressor or the entire condensing unit. 

As mentioned earlier this is a very expensive proposition. Always contact a HVAC professional when dealing with refrigerant (freon).Air conditioners use gas coolant to cool the air in your home. Central air conditioners are designed to continually cool the home to the desired temperature of the homeowner. The coolants they use are supposed to last the lifetime of an air conditioner, but accidental damage, wear and tear, contaminants and other issues can spring up. In these cases, the air conditioner may need a charge of coolant after the issues are fixed. Determining the issue in advance, however, can help you avoid adding coolant to the unit if it actually doesn’t need it. The Thermostat The thermostat is the first place to look if you suspect that the air conditioner may have lost its charge of coolant. In addition, sometimes units merely need a reset to trigger the electronic elements of the system. To start, set the thermostat to around 85 degrees and wait half an hour or so, then adjust it to around 60 degrees and wait for the unit to kick on.

If the house begins to cool, it was simply a reset. You can also reset the unit directly at the source or flip the breaker to the AC unit. Additionally, inspect the thermostat unit itself by removing the plate cover to see if any of the components within are sticking due to humidity buildup or dust. The Vents If the vents are blowing room-temperature air, or warm air, rather than cold after you clean the thermostat and reset the unit, this is a sign that your coolant might be out of charge in the air conditioner. You check this by holding your hand in front of the vents and feeling for warm air. Give the machine at least 15 minutes to see if maybe it was just residual air coming out of the vent system as it makes its way throughout your home. If the air still isn’t cold, it is a sign that you could need to call a technician for a coolant charge. Frost Buildup The coolant used in air conditioner units is in gaseous form that can freeze elements it comes into contact with. Leaks are easily spotted because there will be frost buildup around connectors, such as where the coolant tank connects to the air conditioner.

The buildup can also be on the surrounding hoses, tubes, fan motors and beyond. If you have already reset the unit, checked the thermostat and verified that it’s still blowing warm air, it could that you have a leak and there is no more coolant in the system. Frozen components are proof that there is a leak and the coolant is escaping the system rather than cooling the air. Inspection Air conditioning units should be cleaned regularly to keep dirt and debris from building up within the machine. All units have filters, but the filters can become clogged over time. Additionally, outdoor units can have the covering panels come loose from wind during a storm, which will blow debris into the unit. This can cause the fans to stop working, thus resulting in no air being pushed through the vents, or it can clog the air filter and reduce the air flow, which will lower the cooling effect the unit has on your home. Before you automatically blame the coolant system, check your system for dirt and debris and give everything a good cleaning.