3 Ways Neglecting Your AC Can Lead To The Need For Air Conditioning Repairs
Posted on: 10 January 2022
While you may hate the idea of having repair work done on your air conditioner, you don't have much choice when it's hot and humid outside. Once you're accustomed to having a cool home, going without air conditioning is very difficult to do.
When something is wrong with your AC, prompt repairs are needed to get you cooled down again. What you may not know is that caring for your AC properly can prevent problems that cause your AC to break down. Here are some examples of how neglecting your AC leads to the need for air conditioning repairs.
1. A Filthy Filter Can Cause The Fan Motor To Fail
Changing the filter in the air handler is an important maintenance task. If it's not changed, dust builds up on the filter. When the dust is thick enough, it restricts airflow. This causes your air handler to struggle. The strain can cause the fan motor to burn out.
A dirty filter can also cause your AC to short cycle. This means the air conditioner turns on and off more than it should, and this drives up your power bill. Plus, when short cycling is bad enough, it can cause your AC to shut itself down. By changing your filter regularly, you can prevent these problems. Once a motor burns out or the AC shuts down, you'll need to get help from an air conditioning repair technician to get your house cooled down again.
2. Overgrown Weeds Trap Heat In The Condenser
It's important to give the condenser plenty of space for ventilation. If weeds grow up against the sides of your AC, airflow is restricted. The purpose of the fan in the condenser is to blow heat away. If hot air can't escape, then heat builds up, and that can cause a number of problems. The refrigerant coil may not cool down enough, and that makes it difficult for the refrigerant to keep your home cool. Your AC may need to run longer, and that drives up your energy bill.
The heat could also cause the fan motor or the compressor to get too hot and burn out. An air conditioning repair technician can replace these parts, but the expense is something you can avoid by keeping weeds away from your AC and ensuring there is always unrestricted airflow around the unit.
3. Dirty Equipment Can Cause Parts To Malfunction
Regular cleaning is necessary or your air handler and AC will not operate efficiently. Operating the air conditioner when it's dirty can cause it to strain and harm the parts. For instance, if a fan or blower is dirty, that could cause the motors that operate them to burn out.
The refrigerant coils are parts that are affected by lack of cleaning too. When dust and grime build up on the coils, the refrigerant can't work very well to cool your home down. The coils might even ice over. The air conditioning repair technician can clean your equipment to fix this problem, but if damage was done to the parts, the technician may need to repair or replace parts as well.
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