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Written on: July 24, 2018
It seems to always happen on the hottest day of the year, when you’re counting the minutes until you reach the comfort of your air conditioned home: you open the door expecting a cool blast of relief and instead get a wall of good old fashioned Pennsylvania summer heat.
Here are the three most common reasons why an air conditioning system fails – and what you can do about them (once you have done your routine A/C troubleshooting, of course).
1. Dirty air filter – Your air filter protects your air conditioner from dirt and other pollutants – but when it’s clogged, your filter can quickly turn from protector to enemy. When a dirty air filter blocks airflow in your ductwork, it forces your A/C to work harder than it should to cool your home; over time, this overwork could cause your air conditioner to overheat and either blow a circuit breaker or shut down entirely.
Solution: Check your air filter at least once a month during cooling season, replacing or cleaning it when necessary.
2. Dirty condenser coils – Condenser coils deliver heat-transferring refrigerant from your air conditioner’s indoor unit to its outdoor unit, enabling hot exhaust to be released outside your home. If these condenser coil get dirty, that heat won’t transfer – instead, it will build up until your air conditioner overheats and shuts down.
Solution: Get annual routine AC maintenance. Technicians will clean your outdoor condenser unit with a special coil cleaner spray to remove dirt and debris safely.
3. Low refrigerant – Just like having dirty condenser coils, not having enough refrigerant will also cause your air conditioner to overheat.
Solution: First, look out for telltale signs of low refrigerant:
If your cooling system is low on refrigerant, you probably have a leak that will need to be repaired before you can recharge your system. During your service visit, our certified Walton technicians will:
If your A/C needs repairs or charging every cooling season, it’s time to invest in a new, high-efficiency unit. Contact Clyde S. Walton today for a FREE no obligation estimate on an home cooling system upgrade for your Montgomery or Bucks County home!
