Is Your AC Struggling to Keep Cool in the Summer Heat?
It’s hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement. You open your front door, enter your house, and realize it’s also hot enough inside to fry an egg on your kitchen floor. You have air conditioning, so what gives?
First, confirm with your spouse, a neighbor, a roommate or a friend to validate the fact that your house is, indeed, unseasonably warm and that you’re not experiencing some rogue, inexplicable hot flash.
Second, take a look at the air conditioning. Make sure it’s powered on and that there are no obvious signs of failure that you can see without doing anything other than a visual exam. Is the AC blowing hot air at you like an angry hairdryer? If so, you’ve got a problem, and these are the most likely sources.
Check Your Refrigerant Levels
If an AC is blowing hot air, this is most likely due to low refrigerant levels. If there is not enough refrigerant in your air conditioning, it causes sharp variations in the internal pressure of the AC.
The low refrigerant, low pressure and subsequent low temperatures within the AC unit cause ice to build up. This prevents the proper cooling of the air, adequate circulation, and does serious damage to the air conditioner’s evaporating coil, an essential part of the air conditioner’s mechanics.
Leaks usually cause low refrigerant levels. Leaks should only be located and repaired by professionals; it is not a DIY project. It is much safer, less time consuming, and ultimately, less costly to hire a professional to repair the leak, rather than entertaining the idea of making a potentially dangerous situation worse.
It Could Be a Dirty Unit
Your AC may simply not be functioning properly because it’s dirty. This has nothing to do with how fastidious a cleaner you are or how immaculate you keep your house. Dirt, dust, debris, microbes and other irritants, many of which are so small that they are invisible to the human eye without magnification.
Even if you frequently dust the outside of the AC unit (while following all of the manufacturer’s safety precautions and instructions), you cannot reach the interior of the unit properly.
To properly clean, dust, unclog, cleanse and sanitize an air conditioning unit (including potential mold and mildew), a professional, with the proper tools, knowledge, and know-how is necessary to complete the task, which should be done on a regular basis.
Installation Was Off to Begin With
If someone (including you) improperly installed the AC, there’s a good chance that’s why it’s not cooling off your house, despite skyrocketing energy bills, adequate levels of refrigerant and hours of tinkering with the thermostat, signs point to improper installation.
While we always hope our AC contractor knows what they’re doing, if you worked with a less reputable company or you tried installation on your own, you could be in a world of heat in no time.
Even with the best AC unit, you could be struggling, which is why it’s always best to leave your air conditioning needs in the hands of the best. No matter your AC-related needs are, if it’s not working properly, give our pros a call. At McLoughlin Plumbing Heating & Cooling we look forward to being your trusted HVAC experts and keeping you cool all year.
