Air conditioner manufacturers generally build dependable, high quality products. If it seems that your air conditioner isn’t keeping up with cooling demands then there are some things you should do before you call an a/c technician.
In order for your air conditioner to meet cooling demands efficiently, the home should be buttoned up; make sure that all of your doors and windows are closed. If not, then you are cooling the great outdoors as they say.
Your a/c uses your furnace fan to move air through the home. That means that it is pulling air through the furnace filter during the cooling season. If the filter is plugged, air flow will be restricted. Two things are going to happen, you won’t get sufficient air movement and the demand will cause the system to work harder.
Speaking about sufficient air movement, make sure all of the duct registers are open. Closing the ducts ultimately backfires that will restrict air flow and the system may not be able to keep up. Don’t be tempted to close ducts in areas that aren’t in use to save money. These rooms will become warmer and the return air from the room will be sent back to the a/c system where demand will be even higher and to make cool air and likely cost you more in the end.
If you allow vegetation to grow into the condenser unit outside that will restrict air flow. The condenser unit moves a ton of air, make sure that the coils and fins are clean. Remember, the coils and fins are delicate and damaging them may cause adverse conditions, if you’re not sure that you can clean them have a Pro do it. When filters and air conditioning coils to become dirty, the air conditioner will not work properly, and the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely.
When it comes to the bigger problems like refrigerant leaks, control failures, poor electrical connections, corrosion, and sensor problems it is time for a technician to come to your rescue. Anytime your air conditioner fails or you suspect something is mechanically wrong, contact a professional to help you diagnose the problem.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.