How Air Conditioning Problems Get Worse without Repairs

How Air Conditioning Problems Get Worse without Repairs

When you notice a minor problem with your air conditioner during the summer, you may be tempted to simply ignore it and only schedule repairs if something worse occurs. Or you could simply wait until the next scheduled maintenance visit (usually in spring) to have a technician locate what’s wrong.

This is a big mistake! There really isn’t such a thing as a “small” AC problem, because most air conditioner malfunctions are progressive: they worsen the longer they goes on, and may kick off a chain reaction of problems in other components. So when you notice your air conditioner is turning on and off rapidly, struggling to evenly cool all the rooms, or making unusual sounds, call for technicians right away to catch the trouble in the early stages. You’ll save money in the long run and have fewer worries about the AC sudden failing during the hottest day of the year.

Here are some examples of how air conditioning malfunctions can worsen:

• Ice on the coils: You should never see ice on the indoor coils of your AC. Because the ice blocks heat absorption along the coil, it’ll restrict the system’s cooling power and also cause even more ice to grow. The ice may be a sign of a drop in refrigerant, and this will eventually cause damage to the compressor.
• Short cycling: This is when the air conditioner is turning on and off rapidly. This places immense strain on the motors and the compressor, hastening the speed they wear down and break. Short cycling can also warn of other troubles in the AC, including loss of refrigerant or dying capacitors.
• Uneven cooling: There are different reasons for you to receive hot spots in parts of your house, including air leaks in the ducts and refrigerant leaks. No matter the source of the problem, uneven cooling means greater strain on the AC and the chance of more components breaking.

For the air conditioning repairs you need to stop problems before they get worse, call on Russell’s Heating & Air Conditioning. We service Calimesa, CA and throughout the Inland Empire and the Desert Communities.