Unless they’re stuck outside where it’s hot, most people don’t give their AC units a whole lot of thought on a daily basis.
This can change quickly, however, when a homeowner loses their cool comfort indoors — their summer refuge from Ohio’s sweltering heat.
We at LRF Maintenance, Heating & Cooling understand this all too well.
Because air conditioning systems are generally overlooked until they break down, fail, or they need some type of repair, we are always ready to help Central Ohio homeowners. We are always a quick and easy phone call away.
In the meantime, if your home cooling equipment is giving you problems or is failing to provide the cool air you’re accustomed to, we present the following list of some of the more common things that could be happening.
Common Reasons for A/C Failure
- Low Refrigerant. The refrigerants used in air conditioning systems are highly hazardous, and should only be handled by certified cooling technicians. Having said that, if you have any sort of refrigerant leaking out of your home cooling system, you call us immediately so we can fix the leak and restore refrigerant levels so your AC can do its job the way it was designed to. Otherwise, until refrigerant levels are back to normal levels, the unit won’t perform properly.
- Neglecting A/C maintenance. We say it all the time: Regular seasonal maintenance is essential to every home cooling system’s function, efficiency, performance and lifespan. If you haven’t been keeping up with appointments with a licensed technician for these crucial maintenance visits, you have no one to blame but yourself when your system fails. When performing A/C maintenance, our technicians clean your air conditioning coils and scrutinize your whole system from top to bottom. Doing so enables them to find minor issues before they evolve into far more costly, complicated problems that can be a major inconvenience. Ultimately, if you have a new air conditioner, neglecting this vital service makes the manufacturer’s warranty null and void should there ever be a problem with a part.
- Coil Freeze Up. Dirty air filters that hinder airflow and air duct blockages and leaks in ductwork can lead to airflow problems bad enough to make your A/C coils freeze up. Regularly cleaning or replacing your A/C’s air filter and keeping your ductwork free are both essential to preventing frozen coils.
- Compressor, fan blade, and electrical issues. When an A/C compressor is bad, it is normally because there are underlying problems that are putting stress on the system. Those problems include electrical issues, dirty coils, low refrigerant levels, and fan blade problems to name a few. As such, we have here again another reason why annual maintenance is so indispensable. Our A/C technicians are quickly able to identify worn out, defective and damaged parts and other problems before they cause emergency situations or even complete failure.
- Bad circuit breaker or fuse. One of the first things you should check if your A/C stops working is your circuit breaker or fuse to see if its getting power. Make sure to wait 10 to 15 minutes to allow your air conditioner cool before replacing the fuse or resetting the breaker to find out if that’s the actual cause of the problem. If neither of these strategies work in fixing the problem, you might have tripped the system’s “high-pressure limit switch.” If you suspect this is the case, we strongly suggest calling us as soon as possible.
- Thermostat problems. When a residential thermostat begins failing, the AC unit begins short cycling — or cycling off and on constantly. If this is the cause of your A/C problem, it’s the perfect time to consider upgrading to a smart thermostat, or Wi-Fi thermostat, which are incredibly convenient, cool looking and affordable. Getting one of these cool, programmable devices will pay for itself in energy savings in no time.
YOU CAN COUNT ON US FOR ALL YOUR A/C NEEDS!
Whether your home cooling system is giving you a hard time or whether it has failed out altogether leaving you in the sweltering summer heat, we are your trusted local team to call! We’ve been in this business since 1975 and in that time we’ve made a name for ourselves as being a high-quality, affordable, HVAC company you can count on. Customer satisfaction is guaranteed! For more information or to schedule an appointment, call LRF Maintenance, Heating & Cooling today at (614) 837-4822, or schedule an appointment online now!
