AC Repair: Important Things To Know | Fort Worth, TX
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One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth has been in business since 1988. We know how hot and humid it can get in Fort Worth, TX, and your and your family’s safety is our top concern. Without a working air conditioner life can soon get unbearable. When the temperatures can reach over 100 degrees with humidity to match, you need a reliable AC repair company to fix your air conditioner quickly.
How Does an Air Conditioner Work?
To better understand what can go wrong with an air conditioner it is a good idea to first understand how one works and why they need an AC repair.
Most air conditioners comprise two separate parts, the first part is inside your home and contains a fan, evaporator coils, and a compressor if either of these malfunctions you will need an AC repair. The second part of the air conditioner is located outside your home and contains another fan, a condenser, and cooling fins and could collect debris and other materials that would make it necessary for an AC repair as well.
Coolant flows around cooper tubes which connect the major components of the air conditioner both inside and outside your home. The coolant inside the evaporator coils is in a cold liquid state. Warm air is extracted from your home is blown over the evaporator coils, the air then cools, and is blown back into your home.
As the warm air is blown over the coils, the coolant absorbs the excess heat from the TX air. With the extra heat, the coolant is changed into a warm gas. The compressor now squeezes this warm gas into a hotter and higher-pressure gas. As we all remember from school a gas will flow from a high-pressure region to a low-pressure region. So, the compressor efficiently acts as a pump and the gas coolant flows through the copper tubes outside to the condenser and cooling fins.
Another fan blows the outside air over the condenser and cooling fins, absorbing the heat from the hot gas coolant Once done the hot gas changes its state back into a cold liquid again and continues back to the evaporator coils and this cycle continues. After a while, the warm air inside your home is transferred outside and you have a nice, cool, TX home.
The cooler air will be less humid, this is because colder air carries less moisture than warmer air. As the air cools it will deposit the moisture as water into the drain pan and will then flow through the AC drain line outside.
As you can see many components in an air conditioner could break down requiring an AC repair and we at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth, TX strongly advise that you have your unit regularly serviced to avoid this happening
Having Your Air Conditioner Regularly Serviced Is a Great Idea and An Easy Way to Avoid Expensive AC Repair
When times are hard it is not surprising that you consider skipping the service for your air conditioner, but this can be a false economy. An AC repair bill can often run into hundreds of dollars together with all the inconvenience of having to find somebody to fix it.
A service from a highly trained technician from One Hour will perform many checks to ensure that your air conditioner is running safely. Your unit will now be running more efficiently too, saving you on energy bills. But most of all the service will give you peace of mind, during the long summer months, knowing that your unit is less likely to break down and need an AC repair.
What Can Go Wrong with an Air Conditioner?
Air conditioners are normally very robust pieces of equipment, they must be as they are on nearly all the time during the summer. Occasionally some components will break down and need an AC repair. Many problems will be avoided by having a routine service, but even a well-maintained AC unit could still break down. It is important to keep an eye open for any warning signs and so avoid an expensive AC repair and these signs include:
- Unusually large energy bills
- Frost and ice growing on the evaporator coils
- Reduced or weak cooling effect
- Strange noises from the unit.
- Strange smells coming from the unit
- Water pooling around the unit
If you experience any of these issues a service will take care of most of them, but if you ignore these signs then you increase the risk that you will need an AC repair at some point.
What Can Cause These Problems?
Low Coolant Levels
Each air conditioner will need an optimum level of coolant flowing through it to work properly and to produce the maximum cooling effect. The coolant will absorb the heat from the warm air been blown over it. Less coolant will mean less heat is absorbed and this reduces the cooling effect.
Any leak will reduce the coolant so decreasing the cooling effect of the air conditioner. To compensate for this the other components in the air conditioner, work harder to maintain the chosen temperature. Harder working components will use more electricity and your energy bills will increase. Since they are working harder, they will be hotter and more likely to overheat and burn out needing an expensive AC repair. A service from One Hour will ensure that the coolant level is correct and will top it up if necessary.
Evaporator Coil Starts to Freeze
Without enough coolant in them, the evaporator coil may start to freeze over. The first sign of this is that you see frost and ice forming on the coil. Ignore this sign and you run the risk that the coil will completely freeze. When the evaporator coil freezes, you will need to turn the air conditioner off to allow the coil to thaw. This can take up to 24 hours and is not a period of time you want to be without your unit during the summer. Should the coil freeze over too often this could cause a breakdown and you will need an AC repair.
The evaporator coils will also need a constant flow of warm air to be blown over them to work efficiently and avoid frost and ice forming. The coolant absorbs the excess heat from the warm air blown over it. Without enough warm air there is a risk that the evaporator coil could freeze over.
A faulty fan would restrict the airflow as dirty air filters. Changing or cleaning dirty air filters is a job that is part of a regular service from One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth, TX. Another benefit from a regular clean or replacement is that the air filters will allow fewer dirt particles and pollen to enter your home so improving the air quality, something that every sufferer from chronic breathing problems would welcome and prevent an unnecessary AC repair.
The frost and ice forming on the evaporator coil will act as an insulating layer further reducing the rate at which heat is transferred from the warm air. The evaporator coil also accumulates dirt over time, and this too will act as an insulating layer and will need cleaning off periodically
Dirty Condenser and Cooling Fins
The condenser and cooling fins are located outside your home and so layers of dirt and grime can be deposited on them. This is a problem that is worse in cities with high levels of air pollution. In addition, moss and weeds can also grow on them, so these dirt layers and weeds must be cleaned and removed. If not, this will reduce the cooling effect of the air conditioner.
If you remember the coolant has become a hot high-pressure gas by the time it reaches the condenser and cooling fins. A fan will blow the outside air over the condenser and cooling fins so that the air will absorb the heat from the coolant. This dirt layer will act as an insulating layer reducing this rate of heat flow. The moss or weeds will restrict the airflow over them and will have the same effect. Failure to clean the condenser and cooling fins will not only reduce the cooling effect but could cause them to overheat and need an AC repair.
Problems with Fans
A big problem with a faulty fan is that it reduces the airflow over the evaporator coil, condenser, and cooling fins. The main function of the airflow is to carry heat away from these components. Failure to do so will mean that the coolant is not quite so cold by the time it arrives at the evaporator coil. So, it will not be able to cool the warm air enough and the cooling effect of your air conditioner is reduced.
A faulty fan is also likely to be the source of any strange noises you may be hearing from your air conditioner. A clunking sound can mean a loose or bent blade striking the inside of your unit and causing damage. A screeching sound can point to a worn-out fan belt or bearings. If you hear any strange noises coming from your air conditioner you should call One Hour straight away for an inspection before you need an expensive out-of-hours AC repair.
Thermostat Issues
An incorrectly placed or uncalibrated thermostat will make your air conditioner work harder, increasing your energy bills. Placing thermostats in direct sunlight or near open windows is also a bad idea. The direct sunlight will raise the temperature of the thermostat and cause your air conditioner to work harder. The same effect will happen when doors and windows are kept open. Warm air will enter your home and your air conditioner will have to work harder to maintain the temperature you have set.
Leaking Air Ducts
Any holes in or damage to your air ducts will allow cool air to escape into your crawl spaces. It has been estimated that up to 30 percent of your air conditioner’s energy will be wasted in this way. This is a lot of energy that is wasted and results in higher energy costs for you. It may be worth having your air ducts inspected when you have your regular service from One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth. It may be worth having the air ducts cleaned. Over the years much dirt and pollen will have accumulated in the ducts. Cleaning this will improve the air quality in your home.
Blocked AC Drain Line
It is a law of physics that warm air is more humid than cold air because warm air contains more moisture. The increased levels of moisture mean that moss and algae are more likely to grow in the drain pan or AC drain line, resulting in a blockage. The drain pan will overflow in the air conditioner and then onto the floor.
This will also increase the humidity levels inside your home and give rise to any musty or damp smell. A blocked AC drain line could also cause your air conditioner to shut down. Before you call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth, TX it will save you from a wasted AC repair bill, if you check outside to see if the AC drain is blocked by dirt and leaves.
Age of Your Air Conditioner
It is a fact that older units will break down more often and need more repairs. Even a well-maintained unit will need replacing every 10 to 15 years. There is a bewildering choice of models on the market, and it is important to select the most suitable model for you. The new model must be able to cope with any extra demands that you place on it and needs to have the right capacity to do that. If you are uncertain let One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth, TX help you with your selection.
A Trusted AC Repair Company
One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth has been serving the community of Fort Worth, TX for many years, and we realize how important it is to offer a speedy AC repair service during the hot Texas summers. Should your AC unit break down, we promise to be at your home as soon as possible. We will not leave until everyone is cool and safe again. Please give us a call anytime!