Due to the everyday, hour-by-hour use of our air conditioners in the summertime, this season is the most likely time for your system to suffer a breakdown. Of course, around here, our air conditioners rarely get a break, so the added wear and tear of summer is even more likely to cause various parts to wear down and break down.
This is why we constantly emphasize the importance of air conditioning maintenance. Maintenance allows our professionals to thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust your air conditioner to ensure it’s performing as efficiently as possible. Maintenance also helps fend off the biggest of repair needs.
Still though, with or without this service, it’s important to be aware of repair needs in case they crop up between tune-ups. One of the most apparent signs of an AC problem is odd noises coming from the system. But, what noises, exactly?
Grinding
Is your air conditioner making a grinding noise as it operates? It’s likely due to an issue with your air handler—or rather, it’s motor. The motor contains a number of oiled bearings to help keep friction as low as possible during operation. Over the seasons, these bearings wear down, and this causes the friction on the air handler motor to slowly increase.
Once the friction gets high enough, the air handler motor will begin making a grinding noise. If you hear this, you should call for repairs ASAP. The bearings will need to be replaced soon, before the air handler motor overheats and burns out.
Hissing
Have you noticed your air conditioner making a sound that resembles air being let out of a tire? It’s likely because of air bubbles in the refrigerant line—which means the refrigerant line has a leak. The lower the refrigerant level is, the lower the system’s output capacity will drop, too.
Eventually, the refrigerant level in your system will drop so low that the cooling system will be forced to shut down. Be sure to call for repairs as soon as you notice fluid dripping from your system or a hissing noise coming from it.
Short-Cycling
If your cooling system is turning on and off every couple of minutes, this is called short-cycling. This can be caused by a number of things, including electrical problems and compressor malfunctions. Regardless of the cause, however, what’s important is that this threatens the efficiency and functionality of your air conditioner.
Short-cycling cuts down on your air conditioner’s ability to cool the home, and also accelerates the rate of which the system wears down. Prolonged short-cycling will cause the system to break down easier, and will shorten the system’s lifespan by a number of years. For this reason, you should call for repairs as soon as you notice your system short-cycling.
These are just a few of the strange noises you might hear coming from your air conditioner that indicate a problem in the system. Honestly, if your system starts making any sounds that seem out of the ordinary, it’s probably best to have a professional check it out, even if to rule a problem out.
Contact North Central Florida Air Conditioning today for your AC repair in Lake City, FL. We’re “Improving Lives by Improving Homes!”
