4 Common Cooling System Problems

4 Common Cooling System Problems

When you have a new cooling system installed, you might hope that it will function flawlessly forever. Unfortunately, air conditioners are complicated machines and they malfunction sometimes. Here are four common cooling system problems that you might be experiencing, along with the single best way to prevent these problems from developing.

• Refrigerant leaks: Your air conditioner doesn’t use up refrigerant the way your car uses up gas. Instead, the refrigerant cycles through the system and is used over and over again. Therefore, if your refrigerant level is low, it was either charged improperly at installation or there is a leak. Adding more refrigerant without fixing the leak will get very expensive very quickly. That’s why you want to hire a technician to fix the leak and recharge the cooling system correctly.
• Electric control failure: The controls for the fan and compressor can wear out over time. Corrosion of wire and terminals can also lead to electric control failure. That’s why electrical contacts and connections should be inspected regularly by a trained technician.
• Sensor problems: Thermostats read the temperature of the air to determine when the cooling system should turn on and off. If the sensor develops a problem, the unit could operate continually or erratically. The fix is quite simple – just bend the wire that holds the sensor in place so it’s near the evaporator coil, but not touching it – though most homeowners prefer to leave the task to an HVAC technician.
• Drainage problems: When left unattended, a drain clog could cause water damage. Ensuring that a technician clears out the condensate drain line and applies an algaecide treatment during every inspection can prevent drainage problems from developing.

The single best way to stop these four problems before they start is to sign up for preventive maintenance from a trustworthy HVAC contractor. These yearly inspections are designed to keep your system running efficiently, save you energy dollars and catch problems early on so they don’t become worse. Contact Air-Tro, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning in Pasadena today for more information about preventative maintenance for your cooling system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about cooling systems and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

Air-Tro Inc. services the greater Los Angeles area as well as the metro areas of Riverside and San Bernardino County.