Why Do Air Conditioners Stop Working?

How Do I Know if My AC is Broken?

Believe it or not, the initial signs may be more subtle than you realize. As with plumbing and residential roofing services, many homeowners only recognize a problem when the AC unit completely shuts down. However, there are plenty of symptoms that can tell you something is wrong.

How to Tell if an Air Conditioner is Broken

• The AC unit continually blows air, regardless of the temperature.
• The fan continues to blow, but only warm air comes out.
• Grinding or clanging noises occur during run times.
• Your AC unit cycles on and off too frequently.
• Your electric bill spikes without you changing your usage habits.

Why is My AC Running Constantly?

If your AC continues to blow cold air for unusually long run times, there’s likely a problem with the thermostat. Temperature sensors should turn your AC unit off automatically once your home reaches the desired cozines, but faulty settings could make your thermostat think things are hotter than they actually are. Try turning your settings down a ways and seeing if your air conditioning responds!

One more troubling possibility is that your AC unit is too small for your property. This rare problem generally pops up when the unit is first installed, or when homeowners greatly expand their house without upgrading their AC. Be sure to replace the unit quickly, or you’ll face a scary electric bill!

Why is My AC Running But Not Cooling?

Most cooling problems relate in some way to the movement of refrigerant (commonly called freon) throughout the air conditioning system. What many homeowners misunderstand is the nature of this coolant. Refrigerant should last for the life of the AC unit; in other words, coolant should never “run out” by itself. Low coolant levels are always a symptom of a part failure or leak.

When it comes to low coolant levels, the usual suspects often include the AC coils and the compressor. These parts are responsible for transforming gasified refrigerant back into a cold, fluid state. Dirt-coated evaporator and condenser coils prevent refrigerant from absorbing and releasing heat (respectively). These coils may also begin to leak from long-term cracking. A weakened compressor can’t apply enough force to drive coolant into the condenser coil.

Some problems aren’t related to refrigerant at all. Clogged air filters and leaky ductwork prevent your cool air from spreading effectively throughout the house. Before you call your air conditioning repair service, be sure you’ve eliminated these possibilities.

How Do You Know if Your AC is Working?

Sometimes people get so used to a malfunctioning AC, they forget what normal operation looks like! When you set a temperature on your thermostat (assuming the AC is turned on Auto), it should turn on automatically whenever the air gets too hot. Once, the AC unit restores the desired temperature, it should turn off by itself to save energy.