Having your air conditioner cease to work during the hot summer months is not only inconvenient, but it can be dangerous. The temperatures of an un-conditioned home can rise over thirty degrees higher than the temperatures outside. In the summer months, these temperatures can increase to well over a hundred degrees. Prolonged exposure to such high temperatures can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke, which can be fatal.

If you’re A/C unit or cooling system breaks down, please do not hesitate to contact us. The technicians here at Andy’s Pipe Dream want to help keep you and your loved ones cool and safe this summer.

How do I Know My Air Conditioner Needs to be Repaired?

One of the most frustrating things a homeowner can deal with is a failing air conditioner. Often air conditioning units break down when they’re heavily taxed during the sweltering summer months. Sometimes the air conditioner seems to be working fine one minute, only to cut off without warning the next. Many times, the issues that arise can be mitigated with regular air conditioning maintenance to ensure the extended life of your investment.

Often air conditioners will give an indication that they are about to break down. Listed below are a few of the more common warning signs.

• The air conditioner won’t turn on
• The air conditioner is leaking water
• The vents have a weak airflow
• The air conditioner is making strange noises
• There is an odd smell coming from your vent or air conditioning unit
• The thermostat is inaccurate
• The airflow from the vents are coming out warm or hot

What are Some Common Reasons for my Air Conditioner to Break Down?

As one of the few appliances that work both outside and inside the home, air conditioners are exposed to an excessive amount of wear and tear. Particularly in cases where routine maintenance is not performed, air conditioners can break down at any time. Listed below are some of the more common reasons for an air conditioner to need to be repaired:

• Clogged Air Filters can significantly inhibit the airflow of a home. During use, the intake vents in the home suck up things like dust, debris and pet hair into the ducts. The air filter catches this debris before it can blow into the unit itself. A common misconception is that the filter is there to clean the air in the home to improve air quality. This is not true! The actual purpose of the filter is to protect the components of the HVAC system. Most importantly, the air conditioning coil. If not protected, the coil itself can become clogged with dirt and debris causing the entire system to work harder than it should. This in turn can cause massive inefficiency and component failure.
• A Faulty Thermostat can also be a culprit that causes an air conditioner not to function properly. A malfunctioning thermostat may have a problem with reading a house’s ambient temperature, while others have trouble relaying the correct temperature to the air conditioning unit sensors. Either way, it can cause the AC unit to improperly function, by over-running, under-running or not working altogether.
• Dirty and Clogged Condensers can cause similar problems to a clogged air filter. Simply put, the outside condenser is responsible for removing the heat from your home and expelling it outside. For this process to work as effectively as possible, the unit itself needs to be cleaned, maintained and tested for proper operation every year. A neglected condenser will cause it to work harder than it should, significantly raising utility costs and stressing the system components beyond what they were designed to handle. In short, this increases your chances of a system breakdown considerably.
• A Clogged Condensate Drain is another common problem that can cause an air conditioner to break down. When an air conditioner is working hard, it creates condensation as a by-product of this process. For this reason, air conditioning units have built-in drain pans to carry the water safely out. In cases where a clog occurs water can flow into areas its not supposed to damaging sensitive electronics.
• Fan Failure is another common problem that can influence the performance of an air conditioner. Each system has two fans. One that circulates conditioned air throughout the home and the other fan expels the heat from your outside condensor. If either fan quits working, your system will cease to operate.

• A Frozen Evaporator Coil is characterized by a layer of ice forming on and within the interior portion of the air conditioning unit. Ice formations should be taken very seriously. Frozen evaporator coils can be a sign that an air conditioner is having any number of possible problems. Ice and its subsequent thawing can damage an AC unit even further.

The HVAC Technicians at Andy’s Pipe Dream are experienced in dealing with these problems and much more. If you have any concerns about the heating and cooling equipment in your home, please do not hesitate to contact us today.