During a hot and humid day, you don’t want to discover that your home’s air conditioning system has decided to take a little vacation from sending out cool air. If you find that the air coming out of the vents is warm rather than the cool temperature you expect, there are a number of things to check first before you call for professional repairs:
- Look at the thermostat to make sure it isn’t set to “fan only” mode, or that it hasn’t been reprogrammed incorrectly.
- Check on the air filter for the HVAC system. (It’s usually housed next to the cabinet where the return air duct contacts it.) If the filter is clogged, either replace it or clean it.
- Look around the outside condenser cabinet to find if anything is blocking it from exhausting heat to the outside.
If you’ve done all that, but still haven’t discovered the cause of the AC’s loss of cooling power, call for technicians to investigate and find the problem. Below are some of the possibilities:
- Broken compressor: This is the worst-case scenario. The compressor is responsible for initiating the heat exchange cycle that allows the air conditioner to cool down the house. If it has burned out, it will need to be replaced. In the case of a very old AC, it’s may be better to replace the entire system.
- Loss of refrigerant: If refrigerant begins to leak out of the air conditioner, the system will not be able to absorb sufficient heat from the indoors to supply cool air. Eventually, the low refrigerant will cause damage to other components. Technicians will seal the leaks and then recharge the system.
- Frozen evaporator coil: When ice starts to develop over the evaporator coil because it’s making the air around it too cold, then the AC will lose its heat absorption ability. Repair experts will find why the coil iced over and fix the problem, then defrost the coil.
Freedom Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. serves Minneapolis, MN and the surrounding areas with excellent air conditioning services.