Even talking about “Autumn” in Florida is almost laughable. Our weather doesn’t typically cool off until January, and even then we’re lucky if we can use our heating systems for a few weeks. That said, it’s obviously super important that our air conditioners stay in the best shape possible! This starts with routine maintenance.
At least once a year, you should have your central air conditioner professionally tuned-up. During a maintenance tune-up, our technicians comprehensively inspect, adjust, and clean your air conditioner inside and out. When we inspect it, we check for signs of wear and tear. From there we can alert you to any small problems so you have the chance to schedule component replacements before this wear and tear leads to a much bigger repair emergency.
Following an annual maintenance schedule can actually help you avoid up to 85% of the repairs your central air conditioner may ever need! Additionally, maintenance helps the system work as efficiently as possible, for as long as possible. But whether you’re alerted during maintenance to repair needs or you suspect there might be an issue with your central AC system, what are the other 15 % of repairs you’ll likely need at some point? Read on to find out!
Failed Contactor or Capacitor
Electrical issues within a central air conditioner are pretty common. In fact, this is probably the most common problem an air conditioner will face. Typically, electrical issues stem from failing contactors or capacitors. Both of these components are tasked with controlling the flow of electricity to the motors of your central AC. Also, both components are temporary, and are meant to wear down! Maintenance helps our team catch this early so we can replace the trouble capacitor or contractor. However, given the high heat and how much our air conditioners work around here, both could fail between maintenance sessions.
Refrigerant Leak
Have you ever been told that your refrigerant is a fuel that needs to be refilled (what those of us in the industry refer to as recharged) on a regular basis? Unfortunately, this is just not the case. Your central air conditioner’s refrigerant is not a fuel. It’s a chemical substance responsible for actually cooling the air that gets returned into your home, and your air conditioner is supplied with enough of it during manufacturing to ideally last its entire lifespan.
So if your system is losing refrigerant, it means there is a leak that must be repaired before it snowballs into a bigger problem, not excluding a complete air conditioner breakdown.
A Condensate Drain Stoppage
Your central air conditioner system must be able to effectively remove moisture from the cooling process. This moisture forms along the coils, and drips down into a condensate pan. If the drain pump is broken, the drain is clogged, or if the drain is loose, it will prevent the air conditioner from properly removing moisture. Not only can this lead to a problem for the air conditioner itself, it can cause property damage.
This is just a brief rundown of the problems that can afflict a central air conditioner. With maintenance though, you can mitigate the damage from these issues. Give us a call today!
For quality central AC repair in St Augustine, FL, contact Climate Masters!
