The extreme Arizona heat means it’s essential that you can always rely on your air conditioning to provide effective cooling. Going without air conditioning for even a few hours can potentially result in your home becoming dangerously hot and putting you at risk of developing heat stroke. That’s why it’s important that you continually monitor your air conditioning and know what signs to watch for that indicate you need to contact an AC repair service.
1. AC Won’t Run
Having your air conditioning suddenly not turn on when it’s supposed to is a more common issue than you might think and can happen for numerous different reasons. While you may immediately start to panic in this situation over concerns that you need to replace your AC, many of the issues that can prevent an AC from running aren’t all that serious and can easily be fixed. For instance, it could simply be that the batteries in your thermostat are dead or that there was a power surge that tripped the circuit breaker for your HVAC system. As such, these are the two things you should always check first before calling an HVAC company so that you can potentially avoid paying for an unnecessary service call.
When determining why an AC system won’t run, an HVAC technician will need to check numerous different things. One of the first things they’ll usually do is test that your thermostat is working correctly and actually signaling your AC to turn on. The easiest way to usually do this is to switch the thermostat from cooling to heating and adjust the temperature to see if the heating system comes on. If your heating also won’t run, it means that either your thermostat is faulty and needs to be replaced or there is an issue with the wiring between the thermostat and the HVAC control board such as a loose connection.
If your thermostat works, the next step the technician will usually take is to go outside and test the contactor relay switch. When an AC system needs to turn on, the thermostat sends a signal to this relay. The relay then closes to complete the circuit so that power flows to the AC condenser unit and it immediately turns on. If the relay fails, power won’t flow to the AC unit and it won’t run. In some cases, the relay can also fail or get stuck when the AC is running so that the unit can’t shut off.
When diagnosing why your AC won’t run, the technician will also check and test the wiring in the unit to make sure it’s receiving power. This includes the start capacitor, which basically acts like a battery and provides an additional surge of power to allow the unit’s motors to start up with no issues. The compressor motor and condenser fan motor in an AC unit both require large amounts of power to start up. If the start capacitor is dead, it often results in the motors not being able to start because they aren’t receiving enough power. A failed start capacitor is a fairly common issue and something that is often easy to spot since you’ll usually hear a repeated clicking noise when it tries to turn on.
The worst-case scenario when an AC won’t turn on is that the compressor is dead. A compressor can eventually just give out due to age, and there are also various issues that can potentially cause it to overheat and its motor to burn out. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can really do if your unit’s compressor is dead but to replace your AC. A technician can replace the compressor, but the high cost of doing so is generally only worth it if the unit is fairly new and should have quite a few years of life left.
2. AC Cools Extremely Slowly
In places where the summers often aren’t all that hot, an AC system will usually only run for around 15-20 minutes before it reaches the right temperature and shuts off. In Arizona, where the summers are extremely hot, it’s fairly common for an AC system to run for most of the day and only occasionally shut off. Nonetheless, if your AC is properly sized and working correctly, it should be able to keep your home close to your desired temperature. If your AC is running constantly and the temperature in your house continues to rise, it’s a sure sign that the system isn’t working properly for some reason.
One thing we always recommend in this situation is to replace your AC air filter since a dirty filter can greatly reduce the system’s performance. If your AC still isn’t working effectively after changing the air filter, you’ll need to have a technician inspect it. One possibility is that the blower is overly dirty or malfunctioning and thus not able to draw in sufficient air. There could also be problems with your ductwork or with the compressor or condenser fan. If your unit is more than 10-12 years old, it most likely means that the compressor is beginning to give out and it’s time for an AC replacement.
3. AC Keeps Shutting Off Too Soon
Another thing that can sometimes happen is an AC system will start having issues where it frequently shuts off before it should. This can occur if your thermostat isn’t calibrated properly or the contactor relay is malfunctioning. Another possibility is that something is causing the compressor to overheat, in which case it will immediately shut down so that it doesn’t get damaged.
Overheating can happen because the condenser fan isn’t working properly or for a variety of other reasons such as a failed run compressor. Just like a start compressor, the run compressor provides additional power to the AC unit’s motors so that they can run smoothly with no issues. Without this additional power, the compressor motor has to work much harder and can easily end up overheating.
Another thing the technician will check in this situation is that the condenser coil doesn’t need to be cleaned. If this coil is dirty, the AC system won’t be able to properly release the heat it pulled out of your house. That means the refrigerant will stay too hot and the compressor will have to work harder to pump it throughout the system.
4. AC Keeps Freezing Up
Ice can sometimes end up forming on the AC evaporator coil inside of a house and causing it to freeze up. You’ll usually be able to tell when this happens fairly quickly because you’ll end up with hot air blowing out of your vents. In some cases, replacing the air filter is all that it takes to fix the issue. If this doesn’t work, it usually means you’re dealing with one of three issues.
The first is that there’s a problem with the blower and it isn’t bringing in enough air. Another possibility is that the evaporator coil is simply dirty and needs to be cleaned. Lastly, it may be that your AC is leaking, resulting in it not having sufficient refrigerant to work as it should. This last problem is the most serious one since the technician will have to find and repair the leak and then recharge the system with additional refrigerant. The reason why this can be serious is that there’s a high chance that either the evaporator coil or refrigerator coil has a hole in it, in which case you’ll need to pay to have the entire coil replaced.
CAM Air is the company to turn to if you need any air conditioning repairs or heating repairs in Mesa. We offer 24/7 emergency services and have what it takes to fix any issue with your central AC, heat pump, ductless mini-split, furnace or boiler. To schedule an inspection or any HVAC maintenance or installation service, contact us today.
