As we start another spring season, many of us are turning to our air conditioning systems to stay comfortable during the hottest days. Unfortunately, just like any other system in your home, your air conditioning system can malfunction from time to time. We’re going to go over some of the most common issues that Camp Verde homeowners experience with their HVAC systems during the spring season and give you some guidance on how to handle them successfully.
Dirty Air Filter
One of the most common problems homeowners face with their air conditioning system is weak airflow coming out of their air vents. When you first notice this problem at one of your air vents, it’s best to check all your other air vents to see if they’re having the same problem. If it’s a uniform problem with all your air vents, it’s a key indication that you may have a dirty air filter. Check your filter by pulling it out of its housing and holding it up to a light source. If you can’t see through the filter, it’s time for a replacement.
Low Refrigerant Level
Another problem that you may run into with your air conditioning system is that it isn’t sufficiently cooling your home. If you’ve already checked the air filter to see if it needs changing, then the issue may lie with your refrigerant. If there isn’t enough refrigerant inside your air conditioning system, it will struggle to remove heat from the air inside your home. It’s best to have one of our professionals come out and recharge the refrigerant level in your system so it can get back to cooling your home like normal.
Thermostat Not Working
One particularly frustrating issue you may deal with is that your thermostat won’t turn on. If the thermostat screen is completely blank, it’s a key indication that it doesn’t have power going to it. Start by checking the batteries to ensure that they’re fresh and check your circuit breaker to see if it’s been tripped. If neither of these solves the problem, then it’s best to have one of our HVAC technicians check the wiring going to the thermostat and evaluate the thermostat to see if it’s faulty.
Blocked Condenser Unit
If your air conditioning system is struggling to cool your home or it seems to be short cycling, the issue could lie with your outdoor condenser unit. This unit needs to be completely free of debris in order for it to adequately disperse heat into the air outside. If there are leaves or other components that are against the housing for your unit, it can restrict its airflow and ultimately reduce its overall efficiency. Fortunately, this is a very easy fix as all you need to do is clean up around your outdoor condenser unit.
Dirty Coils
Another reason that your air conditioning system may not be cooling your home is that your evaporator and condenser coils are very dirty. These coils are responsible for housing refrigerant and allowing it to transfer in and out of the air. If the evaporator coil is dirty, your refrigerant won’t be able to absorb heat from the inside of your home. In a lot of cases, the refrigerant will get so cold that it will actually freeze up your evaporator coil. It’s best to clean these coils with a specialized cleaner to ensure the safety of the coil.
Faulty Blower Components
A very important part of your air conditioning system is its blower compartment. This houses the blower motor, the blower fan, and other essential components that are responsible for circulating air throughout your ductwork. If you notice that your outdoor condenser unit is running and you don’t hear the fan blowing for your ductwork, it’s a key indicator that you have a problem with your blower compartment. The issue could be that the fan belt has worn out and broken or that the blower motor itself has blown up. One of our helpful HVAC technicians can assess the issue further.
Clogged Drain Line
One alarming issue that you may experience from your air conditioning system is that your indoor air handler unit is leaking water. This is typically the result of a drain pan that’s overfilled with water. As your air conditioning system runs, it naturally extracts humidity from the air.
This humidity will drip off the evaporator coil and down into the drain pan where it goes through the drain and out of your home. If the drain line or the drain itself becomes clogged, water will start to back up inside the drain pan and eventually overflow. To remedy this issue, you’ll need to remove the clog from your drain line or drain.
Faulty Starter Capacitor
In order for the compressor pump in your outdoor condenser unit to turn on, it needs a jolt of extra energy. This comes from a component known as the starter capacitor. You’ll typically hear your air conditioning system click. Then the starter capacitor will send that jolt of energy to the compressor pump where it will start running.
If you hear the distinctive clicking coming from your system but don’t hear the compressor pump turn on, it’s a key indication that the starter capacitor is faulty. It’s best to consult one of our HVAC technicians to do a replacement for your starter capacitor.
Miscalibrated Thermostat
One frustrating issue that you may find yourself dealing with is a thermostat that isn’t calibrated correctly. When your thermostat is unable to correctly read the indoor temperature, it can cause a lot of confusion. For example, let’s say that your thermostat is reading that the inside of your home is 70 degrees when it’s really 80 degrees.
Your thermostat will tell your air conditioning system to turn off and not run because the indoor temperature is where you have it set at 70 degrees. It can be helpful to have one of our HVAC technicians assess your thermostat and recalibrate it so that it’s reading correctly.
Musty Smell
One problem that no homeowner wants to deal with is having a musty smell coming out of their air vents. In a lot of cases, this musty odor is the result of mold and mildew growth inside of your system. In some cases, the growth may be on your evaporator coil while in others it might be inside your ductwork. Because of the likely location of the mold or mildew, it can be helpful to have one of our technicians further evaluate the source and remove it from your system.
Importance of AC Maintenance Service
One of the absolute best ways to help avoid a lot of these problems with your air conditioning system is to get professional maintenance service in the spring. By having our HVAC technicians come out and perform service on your system, they will be able to detect any of these problems and fix them so that you don’t have to deal with a system breakdown during the hot summer months.
Helpful AC Repair Service
Goettl's High Desert Mechanical provides helpful AC repair service for the Campe Verde, AZ community. Our technicians can also assist with all your AC maintenance, installation, and replacement needs. Give us a call today to book your next service appointment.