my ac unit is hissing

Homeowners in Fayetteville often speak of hissing sounds coming from ducts. Within the air handler of your HVAC system, you might hear many different types of hissing or gurgling coming from the equipment. When you notice your AC is making a hissing noise, it may also be coming from the compressor. In most cases, major HVAC problems follow from periods of homeowner neglect. However, whether it’s a basic ductwork fix or major issues with refrigerant leaks, contact a Reliable Heating & Air pro to settle the issue before the dog days of summer hit. I live in a mobile home and my central ac unit starting hissing pretty loud 3 days ago and tday it is blowing only warm air. There is no water or ice inside or out. The outside unit is running but it does sound a little odd but can't describe the noise. The outside don't look dirty but we have not cleaned it this year yet so I know it could be. But is there anything else that could be a problem Call a local HVAC company, it sounds like a refrigerant leak.

Don't run the system until somebody has looked at it, as you could damage the compressor and/or other components. Did you find this question interesting?
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ac unit making buzzing noise Where exactly did you hear the noise from?
car air conditioning repair west yorkshire If it was coming from the lineset somewhere, that may be an 'easy' fix. If it seemed to be coming from the inside coil or the condenser outside, that's a much more involved fix (basically, you'll have to replace that whole part), as I don't think any kind of "leak stopper" will suffice if you heard it blow (those are for small, slow leaks).

Either way, you probably need an A/C tech to come out. But you might want to skip that and go with a whole new system depending on the age of yours. IMO, any system that audibility pops a leak is probably done for. You can run the fan to stir up some air in the meantime, but don't run the system anymore. My A/C hasn't been able to keep up with the heat lately (it's been in the high 90's with high humidity, and today the house was up to about 82 inside even though it's set on 70). I went up into the attic a few minutes ago to see if my untrained eye could see anything wrong with the unit, and I noticed two things: There is a hissing noise coming from the unit where the refrigerant lines go into the evaporator. I know that I have a TEV, and I've read online that these can sometimes hiss, but I wanted to see if that's likely what the cause is or if it's possibly something else. Cold air (quite cold) is blowing out of the hole where the refrigerant return line comes out of this box (this is also where I'm hearing the hissing), and the attic was cooler than the rest of my house!

I just had a popular local A/C company out here to investigate, and he said that the unit appeared to have been undercharged from the time it was installed (the house was built in 2006), so he added two pounds of refrigerant. He said that he didn't find any leaks. Are either of these things issues? Have you lived there long enough to compare the performance of the system to previous summers? (Sometimes units are undersized, or paired with poor duct design.) Is the air coming out of the vents cold? Is it as cold as you remember before problems started? Is the airflow at the vents good? After he added coolant, is the system working better? If yes, the system was low on charge. If not, something else is wrong. It is possible for the system to be low on charge, but still be able to keep up on days that are moderate (albeit at a lower efficiency than a properly charged system). It is also possible for there to be a leak, but the HVAC guy missed it. He probably only did a quick leak check (soap bubbles).

There are more involved (expensive) tests he can do. However, they may not be necessary. If adding coolant made the system work well, wait and see. If the performance degrades again in a few weeks/months, you have a leak. If there is a leak, it is usually in the outdoor unit, which is exposed to the elements, and takes a beating. The good news is that the unit is probably still under parts warranty (typically 5 years for a cheap unit, 10 years for a good one), so if there is something expensive wrong, the parts should be covered. (When was the last time your air filter was replaced? If it's been more than 6mo, look at it and see if it is OK. If you aren't up for replacing your air filter at least once a year, you should consider a service contract where the techs do it for you.) I doubt there are filters on the individual returns, just at the main air handler return. I change filters every month (if I remember) because we live in the country and have dogs and cats. Sometimes there's a small drift of hair at the main return in the great room, which is a sign we need to sweep and reminds me to change the AC/furnace filter.

What happens if you don't change your filter often enough is the fan motor burns out much sooner than it should, which will cost a 4 digit number to replace. Last time I replaced the whole furnace/air handler because it only cost $200 more than the fan motor parts.My Air Conditioner Makes a Hissing Sound You air conditioner can seem like your best friend on a sweltering day in the middle of the summer. If it is not working correctly, it can make life miserable in a very short time as your home heats up. One symptom of failure that you might notice from your air conditioner is a hissing sound. This doesn't always mean there is something wrong, but it could. It is a good idea to know the possible sources of this hissing sound when it happens. The most serious problem that may cause a hissing sound to emit from the air conditioner is too much internal pressure in the compressor. This can range from a mild hissing noise to a loud hissing or a noise some describe as a "scream."

This type of noise from the compressor can indicate a dangerous situation. If your compressor is making this type of noise, shut down the air conditioner and call a qualified technician to repair the problem. A similar but usually quieter hissing sound can come from the compressor area in an air conditioning unit if the internal valves are leaking. This hissing may sometimes take on the sound of a trumpet or trombone if the condition worsens. The noise caused by leaky valves is especially noticeable when the system powers down. A service technician will be required to replace or repair the leaking parts. Sometimes a hissing sound coming from the air conditioner is not a major problem. During normal operation the refrigerant, such a Freon, circulates through a system of pipes to cool the system. It compresses the gas and then expands the gas rapidly through a port called an expansion valve. In some systems the expansion of gas inside the unit will make an audible hissing noise routinely as part of the cooling process.

These hisses are just a few seconds long and happen in regular intervals. They are not a cause for concern. If the hissing sound from your air conditioner is coming from the registers or vents in your home, then there is probably no major problem with the mechanics of the system. The simple rush of air forced through by the fan could result in a hissing sound because the ducts are excellent for carrying sound. Also, if some of the registers are partially closed then air could be entering through tight spaces, causing increased sound. Try opening the registers wider to turn it from a hiss sound to more of a low-key whoosh.Service Bulletin: November 2009 A home heating and air conditioning unit makes several noises during its operation due to vibrations. Hissing sounds accompanied by knocking,... Air conditioners vary widely in the level of noise they produce. Should you find your unit to produce noise at an unusually... My Air Conditioner Makes a Hissing Sound. You air conditioner can seem like your best friend on a sweltering day in the...