Air conditioning repair is a service that every homeowner or renter will need at some point.
Particularly in areas that experience very hot summers, your A/C unit works very hard to keep your home at the desired temperature.
So, for instance, if the outdoor temperature is hovering around 98 Fahrenheit and you set the thermostat to 65 degrees, your unit will be doing that much more work to lower the temperature by over 30 degrees.
This can be very taxing to the unit and can cause all sorts of normal wear and tear.
In many cases, this does require the service of an air conditioning repair professional.
However, in some cases the problem is more simple and can be easily solved on your own.
Here are some vital things to check if you're running into issues.
- Circuit Breaker If you're running your A/C in a region with a very high temperature, it's going to be using a great deal of power, and can sometimes suddenly turn off.
If this happens, the first thing you'll want to do is check if the circuit breaker tripped.
Sometimes the problem is no more complex than this.
- Leaks A common problem for folks using a window unit is an improperly sealed window.
The best way to test for this is to light a candle or an incense stick by the window.
If the smoke blows, then there's a leak, and it can be easily sealed using foam and duct tape.
Leaks can also occur in the building's air ducts if you're using a central air system.
You can test this in a similar fashion, and seal any holes with the use of duct tape.
- Check BTU The BTU rating is basically a measure of how powerful your A/C unit is.
If you're finding that your room isn't as cool as you'd like it to be, check on the side; you should be able to find the BTU rating.
This will help you to determine how big of a room your unit is able to handle.
The problem may just need that you need a bigger one.
- Clean the Filter This simple check applies to both central and window systems.
A filter is the little grating that catches any loose particles and dust that runs through your air conditioner.
This is an essential to keep your air clean and to keep your system operating smoothly.
Over time, the filter becomes filled with particles and it forces your system to use more power to operate.
For a window unit, you can find the filter behind the plastic front piece where the air blows out.
For a central system, check the space where the duct blows into the room.
This series of simple tests should tell you if there are more serious issues.
If you're still having problems, it's time to call an air conditioning repair team.
They should be able to diagnose and fix this problem in one or two visits.