Expert AC Repair Tips: What to Do When Your Air Conditioner Fails This Summer

A most distressing question during the summer is “What if my air conditioning goes out?”  Extreme heat and humidity will severely strain air conditioning systems. If your HVAC system has a weakness, the additional stress is likely to require AC repair, and the breakdown creates a significant emergency, depending on the health of family members.

How can you know for sure whether an air conditioner is struggling to keep up with extreme heat (a common experience) or is in serious need of AC maintenance or AC repair?

What to Check Before Calling for AC Repair: Troubleshooting a Dead Unit

If the air conditioner does not work at all, this is a serious problem, but there are some homeowner checks to make before you call for service.

• Make sure the power is on in the house.
• Check the circuit breaker in the electrical service panel. Find the breaker marked AC. Has it tripped? If so, turn it all the way OFF and then all the way ON.
• The central air cabinet may also have a circuit breaker. Check this location as well.
• If the breakers are fine, check the thermostat. The setting should be on COOL, and the temperature setting should be several degrees lower than the current indoor temperature. If the thermostat face is blank, the battery needs to be changed.
• If these checks do not produce results, call your Northwind AC Repair technician.

Air Conditioner Running but Blowing Warm Air? Here is What to Do

If the air conditioner is working, but the air is warm, there are a few homeowner checks to make.

• Change the air filter. The filter constantly collects airborne particles, but if unchanged, the collection can cover the filter and restrict airflow into the evaporator chamber, where cooling happens. With a new air filter, the air can flow freely into the chamber. If this resolves the problem, remember to change the filter regularly.
• If the air conditioner runs and the air is cool, but it is producing an inadequate amount of cool air, call your Northwind AC Repair technician.

Electrical and Refrigerant Issues That Require Professional AC Repair

Other problems will require diagnosis by a trained professional, since the problem can arise from several sources.

• Electrical control mechanisms are under constant wear, including sensors and switches. A common electrical component to fail is capacitors. These switch mechanisms store a significant electrical charge and act as localized batteries to start large motors quickly.
• Air conditioners rely on refrigerant gas under pressure. Should wear or damage to the tube network allow the refrigerant to leak into the atmosphere, all the system components will go through the motions with no resulting cooling. Make sure the technician locates and repairs the leak before recharging the system.
• For any number of reasons, the compressor motor might also fail and stop the cooling function.
• If you encounter any of the above issues, contact your Northwind AC Repair technician to initiate an AC repair appointment.

Frozen Coils and Water Leaks: Urgent Signs Your System Needs AC Repair

If you find ice has developed on the evaporator coil or water is leaking from the central air cabinet, make sure to call your Northwind AC Repair technician.  

• The evaporator coil should be cool. When the cool tubes come into contact with warm, humid air, the moisture condenses, is collected, and drains away. When refrigerant leaks from the closed loop of tubes, for a while, the tube becomes very cold, cold enough to freeze the condensation.
• The ice buildup is a short-term problem, since enough refrigerant will soon leak away and cooling will cease. Now, the ice will melt quickly and overflow the drain pan designed to collect the condensation.
• Another problem that might cause water to leak from the cabinet is a blockage in the drain line that handles condensation. Rust might break from the drain pan or mold and algae growth might restrict water from flowing through the drain line.

If any of these last three issues arise, call your Northwind AC Repair technician immediately. The more time these system failures are neglected, the more likely secondary damage (wet drywall, warped flooring, or wet insulation) could result.

Schedule Your Expert AC Repair Appointment Today

Don’t let a broken air conditioner ruin your comfort and risk your family’s well-being during the scorching summer months. Whether your system needs a minor fix, a major component replacement, or a quick troubleshooting check, the experienced team at Northwind Air Conditioning and Heating is here to help. Call us at 713-683-9474 right now to book your AC repair appointment, or simply fill out our convenient online contact form to get your cooling system running at peak performance again!