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AC Malfunction: 5 Ways Your AC Might Fail

admin • June 12, 2017

The modern air conditioning system is built for durability and a lifespan of 10–15 years. But there’s no way any mechanical system, especially one as complex as an air conditioner, can be designed to run perfectly and never encounter into trouble.

You can take steps to prevent air conditioning malfunctions during the summer. The most important is to schedule air conditioning maintenance during the spring. (If you haven’t arranged for your spring air conditioning maintenance yet, sign up for our maintenance plan and we’ll get you started.) But you should always be ready to call our technicians for air conditioning repairs in Edgewater, NJ if your AC starts to lose power or show other signs it’s wearing down.

5 Malfunctions Your AC May Experience

This is a list of the more common air conditioner troubles our repair technicians deal with during the season. Knowing about them ahead of time makes it easier to determine when it’s time to contact us.

Failed capacitors: The component inside an AC that’s most susceptible to intense summer heat is the capacitors, which are electrical parts responsible for sending voltage to the motors. Heat can cause a capacitor to lose its ability to hold an electrical charge. If the air conditioner’s compressor is having a hard time starting (“hard starting”) or it won’t remain running for long, the capacitor may need to be replaced.
Refrigerant leaks: The refrigerant inside an air conditioner is supposed to last for the lifetime of the system, since the cooling process doesn’t consume it. But leaks along the refrigerant line due to corrosion can cause the refrigerant level to drop. This puts the entire air conditioner in jeopardy of a failure. At the first sign your AC can’t keep up with your comfort demands, call for repairs; the problem might be refrigerant loss.
Burnt-out motors: The motors in any mechanical device can burn out (the wires in the casing fuse together) because of too much stress. A motor that is dirty or has lost lubrication will be at a higher risk of burning out. If this happens, it will mean non-working fans or compressor.
Frozen evaporator coil: You might think the sight of ice on a part of your air conditioner is normal. After all, isn’t the system blowing out cold air? But ice actually should never appear on parts of an air conditioner. If you notice ice along the coil, it can point to a number of problems, such as a clogged air filter, dirt on the coil, and refrigerant loss. The root problems needs to be solved and then the coil defrosted. (Don’t scrape the ice off yourself, as this may damage the coil.)
Loss of thermostat connection: If you find the air conditioner’s blower fan or compressor won’t turn on or won’t turn off, there might be wiring trouble with the thermostat. Fixing this must be left to a professional: don’t fiddle with the thermostat on your own.