Air Conditioners and Some Typical Issues


The warmer spring and summer months are coming, and for what it’s worth, that is pretty awesome. There is a lot to look forward to—parties, barbecues, not having to wear a jacket everywhere, swimming and the beach. There’s so much to the summer that makes it great, and nothing spoils that more than a busted air conditioner, spewing out something other than air conditioning.

Every year we see an assortment of issues with air conditioners and a lot of common complaints. Our objective here is to address the reasoning behind typical problems that arise with air conditioners. It takes significant experience to safely repair or service HVAC systems, so DIY projects are never advised. However, some insight into what is causing these problems may help prevent them from happening in the future, and maybe ease the pain of paying a professional to come fix your problem.

Air Conditioner Leaks
As your air conditioner pushes air along the cold evaporator coils to make the air feel cold, water will condense on the edges of the A/C unit. As the condensation gets thicker, it will start to “leak” on the ground. Typically the parts of an A/C unit that can leak are supposed to be located outside—if the condensation is leaking indoors contact a professional, as buildup of water can cause mold and other problems in properties.

Air Conditioner Blows Hot Air
We see this happen a lot. Sometimes, thermostats have accidentally switched to “heat” mode because of an abnormally cold spring or summer night. Make sure to check the thermostat before jumping to conclusions.

Other times, a dirty evaporator coil can be caused by a clogged or filthy air filter. It takes a professional to clean an evaporator coil, although an air filter is easy to buy and replace. Also check the condenser (the air handler outside.) Make sure that there’s no obstructions, that it’s running and that nothing’s wrong with it.

The last and most common reason hot air might be coming out of your A/C is that it is low on refrigerant. Unfortunately, it’s best to leave the addition of extra refrigerants to an HVAC professional.

Air Conditioner is Freezing
In short, this problem is caused by a lack of air flow over the coils. The coils are heated up by the air flow, which keeps ice from forming on the coils. Unfortunately, without this air, ice will start to accumulate on the coils and the surrounding areas. Check the air flow in your property first and foremost – this problem can be remedied sometimes by making sure that there aren’t any closed vents in your property. Closing vents doesn’t save energy, it reduces the efficiency of an A/C unit.

The next thing you should check is how restrictive your air filters are. Some companies will sell anti-allergy air filters and other specialty filters that simply don’t have enough air-flow to promote a healthy HVAC system. Remember that the intake filters are there in an HVAC system to keep obstructions out of the system, not to actually filter the system—that requires other systems entirely.

Finally, a dirty blower will have the amount of air it moves and handles greatly reduced. As the blower becomes more obstructed, ice will have more and more opportunity to form.

These are just a few of the common issues that we spot.

Whenever you have anything go wrong with your HVAC systems, don’t hesitate to contact Ivey Air today. HVAC systems are complex systems that involve compressed refrigerants, high voltage and many other dangerous factors. Because of this, it’s always recommended that a professional conduct work on HVAC systems. Reach us by phone today at 215.695.4170.

About Ivey Air:

Ivey Air, Inc. is a Levittown, Pennsylvania-based heating, cooling and ventilation service, repair and installation business servicing both residential and commercial property owners in and around the Levittown, PA area. They provide improvement services for indoor air quality, including air duct and ventilation cleaning and air filtration systems.
For more information, please visit http://www.iveyair.com.

 

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