When problems develop with your air conditioner, your home can quickly become uncomfortably warm and sticky. The following tips for troubleshooting common A/C problems can help you solve minor issues on your own or know when to call in an HVAC professional.
If your A/C runs but there's no flow of cool air from the registers, it may be due to insufficient airflow through the HVAC system. First, make sure that all the supply and return registers are free from any obstructions. Next, clear away accumulated yard debris from around the outdoor condenser unit, trim back overgrown vegetation, and gently rinse off the coil with the garden hose. If the problem persists, give your HVAC pro a call.
If your A/C doesn't seem to produce enough cool air on extremely hot and humid days, there may not be a correctable problem since cooling equipment can only lower the indoor temperature by about 15 to 20 degrees relative to the outdoor thermometer reading. If the loss of output is gradual and worsening, a dirty indoor evaporator coil may be the culprit. If the A/C never seems to cool sufficiently, it may not be sized properly. An HVAC expert can diagnose the cause and advise you on a solution.
If the outdoor unit doesn't start up, try reducing the thermostat temperature setting by a few degrees to see if the condenser cycles on. Next, look for a blown fuse or tripped breaker in your electrical panel. If these fixes don't help, have an experienced HVAC technician check for more serious problems with the compressor or motor.
Restricted system airflow can sometimes result in inefficient short cycling. Try replacing the air filter, removing anything that's obstructing the registers and outdoor condenser to see if there's any improvement. If not, your HVAC technician may need to clean the coils, check for refrigerant leaks and/or evaluate the equipment capacity. For expert help troubleshooting the air conditioner in your Hampton Roads-area home, contact us today at Russell's Heating & Cooling. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about troubleshooting and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 757-750-1831. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/pixabay”