If you live in Alabama, I’m sure that you’re familiar with how disgustingly hot it gets some days. It doesn’t exactly make you want to go outside, does it? Imagine if you didn’t have air conditioning in some form. It would be pretty terrible, to put lightly.
That’s why most households here in the United States have one. The exact figure is somewhere around seventy-five percent. My college campus was in the north and didn’t have them in the dorm rooms, and let me tell you, it was pretty miserable. I’ve decided I never want to go without it after that.
What happens when we need a repair, though? Well, as you can see on this page, https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Air_conditioner, it’s something that isn’t just a comfort for a lot of us. That means we need to get it fixed as soon as possible when it breaks. Hopefully, I can provide some guidance on how to go about this.
What can go Wrong?
Before we cover how to get them fixed, though, let me explain some of the reasons they can break. They are pretty common, unfortunately, and for that reason it’s a good idea to learn about them.
The first I’ll cover is filters. You see, they are one of the number one culprit behind a broken unit. Why is that?
An air conditioner operates by cycling air back into your home that it has cooled. That means that when new air enters the home, it passes through the filter. The purpose of it is to catch any contaminants or bacteria that might get in. However, over time, that will buildup. The filter will look visibly dirty and be less effective at doing its job.
It might seem like it’s only bad for air quality, but it does affect the unit itself as well. That’s because it impedes the flow within the system. What does that do? Well, the cold air it is supposed to release sits within the components longer. If left long enough, it might even cause ice to form on the inside.
You can replace them at home, but if it is a big job, you might want to learn more about how it works before attempting it, or just call in a professional. The same goes for the other issues I’ll be discussing next. When in doubt, hiring an expert is often a practical solution.
What an air conditioner uses to cool the air repeatedly is called refrigerant. It cycles between gas and liquid over and over again, allowing it to continue operating. Your unit should not be able to run out of it on its own because of this process.
So, if you do find that it is running out of coolant, it probably means there is a leak somewhere. This is definitely a case of calling in outside help, as any uneducated tampering could result in more damage rather than a fix. If left unattended for too long, it could even completely ruin the unit.
The final thing I would like to cover today is problems associated with drainage. As your air conditioner does its job, there will naturally be water condensation that occurs. Most central air systems have some sort of tray to collect this drainage and return it to the sewer system.
There are a lot of components involved, though, which means there are more chances for something to break or otherwise malfunction. For instance, if there is something that blocks the drain line, that could damage other sections of the systems and even prevent them from working entirely depending on the size of the blockage.
In addition to that, when the moisture is not removed on a regular basis, it encourages the growth of things like mold or algae. Neither are desirable for having healthy air quality. In fact, they can cause quite the opposite, potentially aggravating illnesses for household members or making it more difficult to breathe.
So, if you’re experiencing any of the above problems or other things, try to consult with someone who is an expert on the topic. Otherwise, you could end up with more issues than you started with!