How to fix common air conditioning problems

Air conditioning System Freezes Up

When this happens, you will probably notice ice forming around the condesation piping leaving the evaporator coil. This generally happens for two main reasons. The Air Conditioning system is either low on refridgerant (a leak) or your filter is too dirty. The first thing to check of course is the filter and make sure air can flow freely through your duck work. Closed vents or a dirty air filter will not allow warn air to pass over the coil, thus freezing up the air conditioning coil. If on the other hand, you are low on refridgerant then you will need to have it recharged. Recharging a system should only be done if the source of the leak is known. All leaks in the refridgerant lines should be completely repaired before a recharge of the system. A refridgerant leak should be handled by a person with an EPA certification. It's the law.

Air Conditioning System Will Not Start

This can happen for many reasons, there are a few things you can check before calling a repair man. First, check the power at the breaker box and make sure it isn't tripped. If it is tripped, you can try to reset it but usually this can be the result of another problem that made the breaker trip in the first place. If the breaker is fine, check and see if power is getting to the condenser, once you know if power is getting to the condenser or not, you know which way to work. If no power, check the thermostat is you have power, check the contactor. The contactor is a semi-easy to replace part. The contactor is a switch within the condenser that operates using 24 volts from the thermostat to control 240volts from the breaker.

Air Conditioning Runs For Awhile Then Stops

This is usually a sign that one of the Air Conditioning safety switches is turning off the unit. Air Conditioning systems comes with built-in safety switches that turn the system off is something is wrong. The better quality systems have more of these switches to protect your investment. This is often the result of low refridgerant or over heating. The one thing to check here, is make sure the outdoor coil fan is working and the outdoor condenser is free of debris around it. Most other problems need to be taken care of by a trained Air Conditioning Technician.

Loud Noise When The System Starts

This is common for Air Conditioning systems that are ready to stop working. Usually the compressor is getting harder and harder to start up so a louder and louder noise occurs during the startup phase. One solution is to have a "hard start" kit installed. This is a booster capacitor that gives the compressor a little more booster to start up. These are generally easy to install and don't cost much. Something even new Air Conditioning systems require these to be installed. As systems become more efficient, they are being manufactored with lower tolerances and high charges are required to kick start these systems.