Five Common Air Conditioning Problems (and what to do about them).

Air Conditioning problems tend to develop over time, and there can literally be hundreds of reasons why your air conditioning system isn’t working the way it should. Furthermore, many times the problem you are having falls into one of the five categories below. Identifying them will help you determine whether you can repair it yourself or you’ll need to call an HVAC expert:

• Faulty/poor wiring: corroded connections, non-certified wiring and poor electrical work can prevent your system from getting the proper power. It can also trip your circuit breaker. Unless you are a trained professional, you should never attempt electrical air conditioning problems yourself — call an expert immediately.
• Low refrigerant: Refrigerant (many times known as Freon) is the chemical that is responsible for cooling the air in your system. Low levels of refrigerant are a sign of a leak or some other problem in your refrigerant system. If you are frequently in need of a recharge, chances are the problem is a leak, and you should contact your HVAC professional and have it identified and fixed.
• Outside fan not working: The outside fan is responsible for transferring heat from your home the outside. If the fan does not work properly, heat transfer will not take place and your compressor may overheat and trip the unit’s safety overload. This is a serious condition that could damage the compressor. If this is happening, shut off your system immediately and call a professional.
• Outside unit not working: This can be due to poor wiring, lack of power or even a faulty thermostat. Check your thermostat’s settings and batteries, and if that doesn’t solve the air conditioning problems, call an HVAC contractor.
• Frozen coil: Many times this can be due to clogged filters restricting airflow but be aware that there are many other causes for a frozen unit. Changing your filters regularly is an essential part of air conditioning maintenance and should be done regularly. As a matter of fact, changing your filters can prevent a great deal of problems. If you change your filters and are still experiencing problems, it could be a problem with low refrigerant or something more complex. Please turn off your system and call an HVAC contractor.

The best way to prevent these and many other problems is to schedule periodic maintenance with a trained HVAC contractor. These professionals know how to spot potential problems and fix them before they become a major problem. Finally, if you don’t have a maintenance contract, you should consider one.