Homeowners in Atlanta and its surrounding metro areas must be aware of air conditioner issues. Luckily, you don’t need to be an air conditioner expert to recognize a problem with your cooling units. No one likes being cooped up indoors during a blisteringly hot Atlanta summer without air conditioning. To avoid malfunctions of air conditioning equipment, it’s beneficial to know typical issues that may arise.
Keep an eye out for these ten air conditioning problems.
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1. The Air Conditioner Is Always Running
This is one of the most prevalent problems with air conditioners and may arise for different reasons. Though it’s acceptable for the air conditioner to cycle on and off more often than usual in hot weather, it must switch off at regular intervals. If not, either the thermostat, air filters, electrical components, refrigerant, or air filters are faulty.
To address the issue, test whether the air conditioner can be turned off by turning off the fan on the thermostat. If this is not the case, you should contact an HVAC specialist near you.
2. The Air Conditioning Is Not Turning On
It’s frustrating to discover your air conditioner cannot turn on. So, when you reduce the temperature on the thermostat, the air conditioner won’t kick on for some reason.
While the source of the issue remains unclear, it may have something to do with a tripped circuit breaker. In addition to that, the thermostat may be broken, or the wiring may be loose.
To address this issue, don’t try to repair your home’s electrical wiring yourself. Our trained HVAC technicians have specialized diagnostic equipment that assists in isolating any electrical issues present.
3. Absence of Cool Air Circulation
This problem manifests itself in two ways. To begin, you could hear the air conditioner operating, but there won’t be any air flowing out of the vents. Secondly, you may feel some air, but it may not be chilly.
Several things may cause this. Dirty filters, which the home owner can address by replacing it with a new one and possibly waiting for the coil to thaw overnight before putting it back in operation. Another possibility could be failed blower motors or blower motor capacitors. These are items that need to be serviced by professionals.
If the vents have little airflow, it can stem from a filter needing to be replaced. This issue can also be refrigerant related as a system that runs low on refrigerant may cause the indoor coil to freeze into a block of ice, restricting the airflow through the system. This issue is for the professionals to repair.
However, you can avoid this problem by performing routine maintenance on the cooling unit. It is in your best interest to entrust this task to R. S Andrews, the most reliable air conditioning company in Atlanta, GA. In addition to fixing existing issues, our company’s specialists inspect the unit for signs of wear and tear and take precautions to avoid malfunctions in the first place.
4. Freon or Water Leaking From The Cooling Unit
Since most refrigerant leaks happen in the system evaporator or condenser coils, it is difficult for homeowners to discover them. Sometimes you will notice a refrigerant leak by seeing oil staining around the equipment. Refrigerant leaks as a gas, but when it does, oil usually comes out with it and leaves these stains.
The lines and connections in the air conditioning system tend to deteriorate with time, resulting in refrigerant leaks. You can’t avoid this natural process, but it can be anticipated in systems usually around the 8 to 10-year mark in a highly humid climate.
Fortunately, our qualified technicians can do routine maintenance inspections to identify this problem.
5. The A/C Unit Continuously Turns On and Off
Short cycling is another name for this particular issue. The air conditioner kicks on and off repeatedly, never completing a cooling cycle. This is a critical problem that may ruin the compressor. However, the issue may be traced down to something inconsequential as a blocked drain line tripping a safety switch, and can be fixed by clearing the drain lines.
Another common reason for this issue is the refrigerant pressures in the system are too low, causing a low-pressure switch inside the system to open and stop the system operations and start again quickly after. This is a serious situation that needs to be addressed by a professional.
6. Freezing A/C System
Ice forming around the copper line set or the air conditioning coil is an issue that needs immediate attention. Ice should never develop on a properly operating system and is a common side effect of dirty evaporator coils, dirty filters, low refrigerant, closed-off air registers, blocked air registers, or collapsed ductwork.
If this condition arises in your home, check the filter first, and if that is not the problem, call one of our professional HVAC technicians to diagnose the issue.
7. The Air Conditioner Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping Repeatedly
There are several reasons a breaker will trip in an HVAC system, and all of them are safety concerns for your home and family. If a breaker trips, it typically means a lot of electricity has tried to pass the breaker, and resetting it repeatedly can cause the wiring to melt and catch fire in the home. The most common issues are a failed capacitor, a shorted-out compressor, shorted condenser fan motor, bad wiring connections, and even a weak breaker.
The best advice for a tripped breaker is to call out a professional to evaluate the equipment before putting it back into service.
8. Strange Smells From Air Conditioner
A lot of Atlanta homeowners report strange smells from their HVAC systems and there are a lot of reasons for this and we will go over a few.
Musty odor coming from the supply vents when the air conditioner is running but not the heat. This symptom is the most common and can be from serval issues.
Dirty filters can cause a musty smell from the vents and should be checked first. Another reason can be a dirty drain line that needs to be flushed out and pitched properly, typically done during maintenance. We find dirty evaporator coils can cause a musty odor and must be cleaned to stop this issue, changing filters regularly will prevent this.
Another rare issue can be what’s called dirty sock syndrome. It’s an issue specific to a home and happens to coils that are typically 3 years or less old. This problem must be identified correctly as the only repair option is to install a coated evaporator coil and this can get pricey.
Dead animal smell when the system is running in heating or cooling modes. Most of the time this issue is from just what it smells like, an animal that has gotten into the duct work and passed on. When this happens, the damaged duct needs to be replaced along with the duct the animal was found in, and the rest sanitized. Sometimes a damaged duct pulling in air from under the home causes these odors, which should be addressed as soon as possible.
Electrical or burning smell coming from the vents in heating or cooling. This is a serious issue that needs to be looked at by a professional right away. This issue is usually caused by a failing motor or a failing motor capacitor. Call a pro to investigate the system before putting it back into operation.
9. Strange Noises From the Cooling Unit
When you hear strange noises from the cooling unit, this should raise a warning signal. It is an issue that homeowners must address promptly. The HVAC system will make noise during the start-up from things like inducer motors, blower motors, and compressors, but when the noise starts that you are not used to, the system will need to be checked out by an HVAC contractor.
The noises tend to be a part failing, and if it’s not replaced or repaired, it can lead to more damage and more expensive repairs. Your system should be a smooth-running machine, and annual AC service can keep it that way.
Your Trusted HVAC Team In Atlanta
Get in touch with the Experts at R. S. Andrews: Atlanta’s Leading Heating and Air Conditioning team.
Over the last decade, our HVAC crew has established itself as the premier air conditioning service provider in the surrounding Atlanta metro areas. We are always available to help with the installation, repairs, replacements, and maintenance of air conditioning units. We can provide rapid service to clients across Alpharetta, Marietta, Decatur, North Atlanta, Roswell & Surrounding Atlanta Metro Areas. You can make an appointment with our staff by contacting us online or by calling us at the number (470) 264-8128.