AC Repair Company 101: Understanding Common AC Problems And Their Signs | Mansfield, TX

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AC-Repair-Company-101--Understanding-Common-AC-Problems-And-Their-Signs-_-Mansfield,-TX

AC Repair Company 101: Understanding Common AC Problems And Their Signs | Mansfield, TX

Photo By Simon.3D at Shutterstock

If you’ve experienced at least one summer while living in your Mansfield, TX, home, you’re probably aware of how your residential AC unit came in handy. During the summer, the average temperatures in the North Central Texas region could go as high as 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

The situation doesn’t change much at night since the lowest temperatures recorded, maybe 77 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re like most Americans, you probably spend a lot of time indoors, which is why you may need to ensure that your home’s air conditioner is functional, especially during the summer.

While a properly maintained AC can serve your residence for well over a decade, it may develop problems occasionally, warranting the need for the professional help from a reliable AC repair company. Therefore, read on to learn more about some of the common issues you may encounter with your residential air conditioning system. You may also discover some of the signs that show you need to contact an AC company.

Common AC Problems

Below’s a detailed account of some of the defects your home’s air conditioning unit may develop, prompting the need for immediate solutions from a trustworthy AC repair company.

Clogged or Filthy Air Filters

To ensure that the treated air entering your residence is clean, most residential air conditioners feature a filtration system. Air filters help eradicate various pollutants, including dust, debris, pet dander, and pollen, which can negatively impact your home’s indoor air quality. When they’re dirty and clogged, their efficiency in cleaning the cooled air may reduce, ultimately affecting your indoor comfort.

Besides distributing contaminated air, clogged filters can also restrict your system’s airflow. This can lead to reduced functional efficiency and high energy consumption as the AC struggles to regulate the indoor conditions. Consequently, you may begin receiving inexplicably high energy utility bills and frequent calls to your local AC company. Luckily, you can avoid such scenarios by consulting with an AC repair professional whenever you notice an unexpected rise in your monthly electric bill.

The technician can clean the filters or execute replacements depending on the manufacturer’s directives. If your home has pets, you should contact your local AC repair company more frequently for air filter cleaning services. Loose strands from their fur and pet dander can enter the AC units and clog the filters over time. It would help if you also considered regularly seeking air filter replacement services since adjusting clogged or dirty filters could increase your AC’s energy efficiency by up to 15 percent.

Frozen Evaporator Coils

Also known as the evaporator cores, evaporator coils play a vital role in the cooling cycle of your home’s AC unit. Essentially, they absorb heat from the air derived from your indoors to facilitate fantastic air distribution. Often located close to the blower fan and air handlers, they may be made of copper, aluminum, or steel since these materials can conduct heat effectively.

When the evaporator coils operate at an optimum level, your AC unit will remain energy-efficient and be able to cool your residence effectively. If they’re dirty or faulty, several AC problems may follow. These include high pressure and temperature, impaired cooling efficiency, improper heat absorption, and significant frost and ice buildup. Under such circumstances, you shouldn’t hesitate to request assistance from an AC repair company near Mansfield, TX.

Evaporator coils require warm air for optimal performance. When they freeze over, the refrigerant can no longer pass through them, thus negatively affecting their ability to absorb the heat in your living space. This can make the indoor conditions unbearable, especially under the scorching Texan summer heat. However, you can trust your local AC repair company for timely and comprehensive solutions whenever your residential AC unit has evaporator coil problems.

Low Refrigerant Levels

The above-mentioned heat transfer process that typically takes place in the evaporator coils is facilitated by the refrigerant. It’s a chemical that absorbs humidity and heat from your indoors and distributes it outside. As your home’s AC unit works to regulate the indoor temperatures, the low-pressure refrigerant moves through the tubes that comprise the expansion valve and evaporator coils to facilitate this action. During this time, the refrigerant cools down, allowing for the absorption of heat.

While inside the tubing of the evaporator coil, the refrigerant can last for a long period unless there’s a crack within the ductwork that’s allowing it to escape. These cracks and leaks can affect the refrigerant level inside your home’s air conditioner, which can negatively impact its ability to absorb heat and humidity from your indoors. Low refrigerant levels can also reduce the refrigerant pressure inside the evaporator coils. The temperatures may drop, leading to ice buildup on the evaporator coils.

You may need to contact a professional AC repair company nearby for solutions since the level of refrigerant remaining may not be enough to cool your living space effectively.

Poorly Maintained Condenser Coils

The condenser is the outdoor section of an AC that collects or releases heat based on the prevailing weather conditions, sometimes referred to as the heart of a residential air conditioning system. The condenser cabinet houses various components, including the condenser coil, a fan, a compressor, fins, valves, and switches. After absorbing heat from your home’s interior, the refrigerant flows into the condensing unit, and after entering the compressor, it changes into a hot, pressurized gas.

At this point, the gaseous refrigerant then moves into the condenser coils, where it transfers the previously absorbed heat outside. It then cools, changes into liquid form, and moves into your home to provide that cool breeze you feel during hot weather. This cycle should remain constant as long as your AC unit is operating at an optimum level, which is why you should have a routine maintenance plan with an AC repair company near you.

Over time, dust and debris can accumulate on the condenser unit since it’s primarily located outside your residence. Dirt can also collect on the fins, and you shouldn’t be surprised to find twigs, fallen leaves, grass clippings, and pet hair inside the condenser cabinet. All these factors can reduce the efficiency of your residential AC significantly. Specifically, it will struggle to generate enough cool air to manage your home’s indoor temperature and consume a considerable amount of energy. Therefore, you should normalize having the condenser unit occasionally cleaned by a professional from a reputable AC repair company in Mansfield, TX.

Consistent AC Leaks

If you see puddles of water forming around your home’s AC unit, it may be time to contact an AC repair company for solutions. Air conditioning systems with extensive moisture leaks can pose an electric shock hazard, so you should turn it off first before placing the call to your nearest contractor. Your technician will use their tools to inspect the system for any faults and repair them as needed. If you chose an artisan from a trustworthy AC repair company, they might tell you some of the circumstances that may cause the AC unit to start leaking.

AC systems may start leaking due to damaged condensate drains or broken refrigerant ducts. Condensate drains help remove the excess moisture inside the unit during the heat transfer and cooling processes. They’re part of the condensate pan, and collectively, they make up the condensate drainage system. During your service call, the technicians from your local AC repair company will inspect the system to check for clogged drain lines, damaged drain pans, faulty float switches, or broken condensate pumps.

The float switch can be particularly problematic since it signals the air conditioner to cycle off whenever the moisture level in the drain pans reaches the maximum point. If its efficiency has been compromised, it won’t provide these signals hence the moisture leaks. Your AC repair company can conduct float switch repairs or replacements to stop the leakage.

Signs That It’s Time to Contact a Professional AC Repair Company

Although AC problems often become conspicuous when the unit has the most use, it doesn’t mean that you can’t stay ahead of them by fixing minor issues before they lead to more complex situations. You can do this by paying attention to any following signs of a possible AC malfunction. They can help you know when it’s time to request assistance from an AC repair company.

Warm Air Coming from the AC Unit

You purchased and requested the professional installation of an air conditioner in your residence with a specific reason in mind, to have a way to cope with the hot and humid indoor conditions that accompany the summer weather.

The AC unit ideally produces cool air to ensure that your living spaces remain comfortable under the extreme heat. Therefore, you should probably consult a professional from a reputable AC repair company near Mansfield, TX, if you notice warm air coming out of the system’s return vents.

A residential air conditioner may start blowing warm air due to improper thermostat calibration. If the component isn’t configured to cooling mode, the air conditioning system won’t produce any cold air. Similarly, you should check the temperature readings since the AC unit won’t produce any cool air if your home is cooler than that reading.

If the thermostat’s calibrations are fine, the system may produce warm or hot air due to inadequate refrigerant levels or damaged compressors. It could also be a sign that your unit may have reached its maximum life expectancy. Whichever the case, your local AC repair company can provide professional solutions as needed.

Poor Airflow

Homeowners should request professional assistance if the treated air from their units is coming out weakly, making it hard for effective distribution throughout their indoors. This phenomenon often happens due to compressor failure, but problems with the ductwork may also be to blame.

Since you may lack the necessary training and tools to diagnose and fix the issue, you should probably ask your AC repair technician nearby to send an expert to your residence. Poor airflow will strain your AC unit, which can reduce its lifespan and run up your energy utility bill.

Thermostat Malfunctions

The thermostat acts as the brain of your residential air conditioning system, providing it with instructions regarding how cool you’d want your house to be, hence determining when it should cycle on or off. With that in mind, you should know that if the thermostat isn’t working right, then the whole system won’t either.

Your home’s thermostat may be faulty if the display is blank even after you’ve replaced the batteries. It may also be broken if the AC won’t turn on no matter what you try.

Other signs that this component may be broken include the AC constantly running even after the set temperature is achieved or the unit coming on for a while and going off before it reaches the ideal temperature. Luckily, an expert from your local AC company can help determine if the thermostat is faulty and whether a replacement may be necessary.

Unusual Odors

A musty or moldy smell within your Mansfield, TX, residence should warrant you to seek the services of your local AC repair company immediately. There could be extensive mold growth inside your home’s air conditioner. As aforementioned, the unit may produce some moisture as it works to maintain comfortable temperatures indoors.

This moisture, combined with the dark environment inside the ductwork, creates the perfect conditions for mold to thrive. The mold is then distributed into your residence, a scenario that could bear negative health consequences.

Mold can elicit allergic reactions and dangerously affect the health of individuals with preexisting respiratory conditions. Past that, you should contact your AC repair company immediately if you notice a burning odor as the air conditioning system is working. The odor may result from an overheated electrical component inside the unit, which creates a significant home electrical fire hazard.

Contact a Reliable AC Repair Company Today

While the information provided above can help you know some of the problems you can expect with your residential AC and their signs, you should leave its maintenance and repair needs to professionals in AC repair near Mansfield, TX. Feel free to contact our professional technicians at Minuteman Heating & Air. We can also help with new AC installation projects.