Getting your air conditioner serviced can be expensive and require you
to live uncomfortably while waiting for a service technician. Following
these steps can possibly save some money and heartache.
(1) Are the condenser (outdoor unit) and/or air handler/furnace (indoor unit) are operating?
If not, check breakers and fuses and verify your thermostat (cooling
control) is adjusted to call for cooling and/or working properly also.
(2) Change your filter regularly. This simple step alone
can increase the efficiency of your air conditioner. It will also run
less, increasing the life span of your equipment. A good sign that your
filter needs changing is the fact of ice forming inside your inside
cooling unit (evaporator section). This may be difficult to see as the
unit is sealed, but touch the outside metal and feel for a noticeable
temperature difference. (You may also see ice on the large line going to
the outside unit (Suction Line). If ice is forming, it is possible that
your air filter is severely dirty and restricting your normal air flow.
This allows ice to form due to the fact that not enough heat is being
introduced to your cooling section. This allows the low side pressure to
fall (which is linked to low operating pressure). When the
pressure/temperature falls below freezing, the condensate water (which
collects on the evaporator normally) will start to freeze thus forming
ice. When this happens, it starts a "Snow Ball Effect" and soon a
significant amount of ice will form rapidly, thus compounding the
problem of low discharge airflow to the cooling space causing low
cooling performance and possible damage to the compressor.
(3) As a related issue, check your fan blower belt for excessive slack or damage. This can cause low air flow which allows ice to form and thus cause low cooling performance also.
(4) Wash your condenser coil regularly. Simply turn off
your air conditioner, get a garden hose, and spray the coil using an
"up/down" pattern. Be particularly attentive if your condenser is close
to a dryer vent, or if your neighborhood is full of cottonwood trees.
These two items are "air conditioner killers".
(5) If all else fails turn off your air conditioner and call for service.
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