What to Do If Your AC Isn’t Working
You can tell your AC is in need of repair when it makes strange noises, it’s no longer cooling your home, your thermostat isn’t working, you are experiencing weak airflow from the vents, or you have high energy bills. Imagine this: You’re sitting inside your home on a hot summer day when you suddenly hear a strange noise — and just like that, your central air conditioner isn’t working. While this may come as a surprise to some, your central cooling system can break down when you least expect it.
While your home’s central comfort system may seem to be running perfectly fine, here are a few sights and sounds that indicate that it may need to be repaired by a professional.
Here are the Signs that It’s Time to Repair Your AC Unit
1. Making Strange Noises
When your unit is running, there’s a chance you’ll hear a small, faint humming sound when you inch closer to the compressor outside. However, if you hear an eclectic array of noises — such as screeching, banging, or clanking — it’s best to shut off your unit and call your trusted HVAC technician right away.
As it turns out, hearing startling noises produced by your central air conditioner can indicate that there is a loose part within the unit, or that there may be something getting in the way of the fan. Either way, catching the problem early on can lessen the chance of shortening your beloved central air conditioner’s lifespan.
2. Not Cooling Your Home
In recent months, if you’ve found that your unit isn’t cooling down your home as efficiently as it once did, this can indicate that you have a problem on your hands. Typically, when this happens, it can either bring to the surface a lingering problem with your ductwork (i.e., there could be leaks) or an issue with your thermostat (it may need to be replaced or relocated).
Either way, these issues will not only keep your home warm and stuffy, but they can also make your air conditioner work twice as hard — increasing your energy bills and diminishing the health of your unit in the process.
3. Thermostat Isn’t Working
An air conditioner’s thermostat is its control center. The thermostat informs the air conditioner how much air they need to generate. Additionally, it measures its performance to ensure it is performing well. Your air conditioning unit may run briefly before shutting itself off, or it may not turn on entirely, which can indicate that the thermostat is not deciding correctly whether it is operating properly. Because it involves complex electrical components, you should have a qualified HVAC technician examine this problem.
4. Weak Airflow from the Vents
A weak airflow problem is similar to the problem with warm air. Cool air may be coming out of your air conditioner when you turn it on, but it is very weak and cannot reach the rest of the room. There is a good chance that this is an indication of an inoperative compressor, but an issue with ducts may also lead to this. In light of the uncertainty surrounding this issue, it would be best to contact an HVAC technician. An expert has the necessary knowledge and experience to prevent bigger problems in the future.
5. High Energy Bills
In general, your household’s energy use shouldn’t fluctuate much from month to month, except during heating and cooling seasons. In case your energy use has remained the same, but your monthly energy bill has risen, you might need an AC repair.
Your air conditioner’s energy bills can be higher if it is faulty or is losing efficiency. Typically, energy bills increase as an air conditioner ages, so they may be related. It’s normal to receive high energy bills occasionally. When your electricity bills increase over time without going down, you may have to repair your air conditioner.
Central Air Conditioner Repairs in Fort Wayne, IN
Let Gibson’s Heating & Plumbing, Inc. take care of your central air conditioning needs! Give us a call at (260) 667-9919
to schedule your repair appointment and learn more about our Fort Wayne HVAC services! And if you find yourself in the middle of an HVAC emergency, we can offer 24/7 assistance!
