Your home cooling system is a couple of years of ages, and you understand it’s not going to last forever. However, you have actually done your research, and do what you can to extend its life: you change the filters regularly, examine that the condenser is draining correctly, and turn the system off and give it a rest when you leave for a few days.
Now, you’re observing it’s simply not cooling in addition to it utilized to, or it’s noisy or biking on and off a horrible lot. Is it in trouble?
Here are 3 ideas that your cooling system might be on its last legs and need professional aid:
IDEA # 1: ELECTRICITY (2 things to keep in mind here).
You know electricity costs are going up, and now that you’re running your air conditioning system– your expenses have suddenly shot through the roofing! That’s an idea that your air conditioning unit is running longer to maintain a typical temperature level in your home. Is it the weather (are you experiencing record-breaking high temperatures outside?) or is it your Air Conditioning? If your area is not experiencing an uncommon heat wave, and your electricity costs (a glance at your bill ought to expose this) haven’t gone way up, possibilities are that there’s the issue your cooling technician need to take a look at.
Another electrical hint is that the breaker to your air conditioning system flips (resets) often. An overworked a/c compressor could be the cause, which’s another hint to call the experts.
IDEA# 2: SOUND.
Wow! What’s that noise? A normally-operating a/c system is reasonably quiet, but if you get utilized to stating “oh, that’s just the a/c kicking in,” you might have the problem. Here are the 5 most common air-conditioning-related sounds and exactly what they mean:.
Squealing– This is probably either a slipping– or broken– belt, or it’s an indication the compressor bearings are stopping working. If you come in handy, you might be able to handle changing the belt yourself, however, the bearings might need a professional.
Banging– If you hear loud thumps or rattling when you turn on your a/c– turn it off! Noises like that suggest some part has actually come loose– like the fan or motor mounts– and it needs to be fixed or replaced before it splits up or breaks completely.
Thwap-thwap-thwap-thwap-thwap– That fast thwapping sound may recognize if you ever stuck a playing card on your bicycle wheel spoke as a kid. That sound means something’s hitting the fan blades, and while it may not be an important part that’s come loose, even a little loose debris striking the fan can cause the motor to break before its time.
Repeated clicking– Your cooling system clicks when it turns on, which’s a normal sound. When you hear it click consistently, that’s an idea that something’s wrong. It could be a malfunctioning relay, or a control unit may cause the relay to timeout and stop working.
Outside noises– When your outdoors compressor kicks on, the fan blade ought to not rattle when it turns. Neither must it yell. A little screech when the motor begins is regular, however, a loud scream is not– and the louder the scream, the even worse the issue. This is absolutely a job for professionals.
IDEA # 3: WARM AIR (obviously!).
If your thermostat is working correctly, and your cooling system seems to be running as it should, other than that the air originating from the vents is warm instead of cold, you’re taking a look at an issue with the compressor– which’s a task for the professionals. The compressor is what flows the refrigerant throughout the system, and if the refrigerant isn’t really distributing properly, the air will certainly not get cool.
Cooling systems can stop working at any age, so it’s a good idea to understand ways to acknowledge problems early. It’s better to deal with a small problem as quickly as it shows up, since small problems can grow to be big ones very quickly.
Simply puts, do not lose your cool– simply call your air conditioning professionals. They have the tools, the parts, and the know-how to keep you in the cool.