As the Florida heat sets in for the summer, many homeowners are turning to their air conditioning systems to stay comfortable and safe indoors. While getting regular maintenance service is a great way to help reduce your risk of experiencing a breakdown, it can’t completely eliminate it. In fact, there are many common problems that Florida homeowners experience with their air conditioning systems.
1. Low Refrigerant Level
One of the most common issues homeowners experience with their air conditioning system is that it has a low refrigerant level. Over time, pinhole leaks can develop in your coils and refrigerant lines. Additionally, joints in those lines can loosen up. This can allow your refrigerant to escape to the outside air.
When there isn’t enough refrigerant in your unit, it’s not going to be able to extract enough heat from your house in order to adequately cool it. When you have this problem, you’ll notice that your system is producing lukewarm air and your home seems to be hotter than normal. To remedy this problem, you’ll need to have one of our HVAC technicians use specialized equipment to recharge your equipment’s refrigerant level.
2. Frozen Coils
Another reason that your air conditioning system may be producing insufficient cold air or is constantly short-cycling is that its evaporator and condenser coils are frozen. This can happen due to a number of different reasons. One of the most common is that the surface of the coils is extremely dirty and prevents heat from transferring from the air into the refrigerant inside the coil. When the refrigerant isn’t being regularly heated up, it will get extremely cold and eventually cause the surface of the coils to freeze.
It’s best to turn off your AC unit and safely defrost the coils in your unit with a heat gun or blow dryer. Avoid using any sort of open flame, as it can be damaging to the coil. Once the coil is completely defrosted, opt for cleaning it thoroughly before turning your unit back on. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this process or cleaning the coil doesn’t solve the problem, have one of our repair technicians come over and remedy the issue.
3. Clogged Drain Line
One really frustrating issue you may deal with is that your indoor air handler unit seems to be leaking water. This can happen when the drain pan overflows due to a clog in the drain or drain line. As your air conditioning system functions, it will naturally pull excess moisture out of the air that will show up on your evaporator coil as moisture droplets. This moisture will drop down into the drain pan and normally drain right out of your home. If there’s a plug in the line, it won’t be able to drain, and the water will simply back up until it overflows the pan.
This is a fairly simple fix. All you need to do is remove the clog from the drain line to allow your unit to drain properly. It’s also important to know that, with some newer air conditioning systems, there’s a safety sensor on the drain pan. This sensor automatically shuts off your cooling system when it senses that the water in the pan is too high. This will prevent water from overflowing and causing any damage to the area around your indoor air handler unit.
4. Dirty Air Filter
If you notice that your air conditioning system seems to be short-cycling or operating very inefficiently, it’s a key sign that you may have a problem with the air filter. If you don’t regularly change the air filter in your HVAC unit, it will get so clogged with debris that it will be very challenging for your air conditioning system to move air through the filter.
You can easily track the state of your air filter by pulling it out of its housing in the return ducting of your unit. If you hold the filter up to a light and it seems to be very dirty, then it’s a sign that the filter needs to be replaced. Opt for checking the state of your equipment’s air filter every month to avoid this unfortunate system issue.
5. Thermostat Issue
One pesky problem that you may run into is that your thermostat doesn’t seem to be working correctly. If the buttons aren’t working to change your settings, you may simply have the child lock on without realizing it. If the screen is completely blank, it means that there’s no power going to it. This could be the result of something very simple like low batteries or a tripped circuit breaker. In other cases, it could be a faulty thermostat or loose wiring going to the thermostat.
6. Blocked Outdoor Unit
The outdoor condenser unit for your air conditioning system plays a big role in the overall operation of your AC system. It’s responsible for dispersing heat from the inside of your home to the outdoors. Unfortunately, if the side of the unit is full of debris, its airflow will be drastically restricted. This won’t allow it to disperse enough heat and will lead to insufficient cooling in your house. In severe cases, your cooling system may even short cycle because it automatically turns off due to overheating.
To solve this problem, you’ll want to remove any debris that’s stuck against your outdoor condenser unit. If there are any low-hanging branches, vines, or other shrubbery within 3 feet of the unit, be sure to trim them back to allow for adequate airflow. It’s also important to take a look at the fins on the outside of the condenser unit to see if any of them are bent. If they are, you’ll want to bend them back into their original straight position using a flathead screwdriver or specialized fin comb.
Invest in Regular Maintenance and Prompt Repair Service
One of the absolute best things you can do to help prevent a lot of these issues is to get regular maintenance service for your air conditioning system. Get your system serviced in the early spring months so that you have adequate time to repair any potential issues your unit may have before you need to use it every day. Professional maintenance services are a great way to ensure that your equipment is operating efficiently and maintain the warranty coverage on your system.
It’s also very important to know that you should be getting professional repair service as soon as you notice that something is wrong with your unit. You should never let any problems go, such as a weird noise or odor during operation, as it can lead to a larger problem in a short amount of time. It’s best to get prompt repair service to minimize the amount of damage that happens to your unit and keep your repair bills in check.
Reliable AC Repair Service
Avalon Air Heating & Cooling offers reliable AC repair service for the Pensacola, FL community. We can also help with all of your cooling system maintenance, installation, and replacement needs. Call our office today to book a service consultation with one of our helpful AC technicians.
