10 Obvious Signs You Need AC Repair | Fort Worth, TX
Owning a home requires you to pay attention to all of your home appliances, including your AC system. If your AC system is not working well, you need to call promptly for AC repair in Fort Worth, TX. Here are ten obvious signs that it is time to get help with your AC system.
Vents Blowing Lukewarm Air
One of the telltale signs that it may be time for AC repair within your Fort Worth, TX home is if you notice that your vents are blowing out lukewarm air. Air that is lukewarm is not going to cool your home and is also a signal that something is going on with the compressor. It also could be a sign that something is blocking the airflow within your air conditioning system, but you won’t know until you have somebody inspect your entire system to see where the breakdown is occurring.
One of the major problems with warm air coming out of your air vents is that your home will not be able to cool, which means that you will be paying for air circulation and hot temperatures within your home. It is wise to go ahead and call for help from an AC repair company because if you don’t, you will be baking and still be charged for the electricity that you are consuming. With this in mind, it is only logical to get help before the issue turns into a much bigger one, because something is blocking the airflow, and it will not resolve itself.
High Humidity Indoors
Another sign that you may need to call for AC repair is if you notice that it is very humid inside your home. While your AC system’s main job is to keep the air in your home cool, it also should be removing humidity from the same air. Ideally, your indoor humidity rate should stay somewhere between the 40th to the 50th percentile; if it is not then your home will probably start to feel stuffy and sticky. It may feel as if you are outside and cannot cool down even though the thermostat technically shows that your home is cool.
One of the biggest problems with humidity outside of your discomfort is the fact that mold and moisture can start to form when there are high humidity rates inside of the home. Therefore, you will not only be uncomfortable, but you might have hidden mold growth that’s going to cause bigger problems within your home for you. Therefore, if you find that you are sweating a lot and the humidity rate inside of your home is out of control, it is time to call an AC repair company in Fort Worth, TX.
Breaker Keeps Tripping
No one likes it when their circuit breaker blows. In fact, it can be a major disturbance to any household. Sometimes a circuit breaker blows when a circuit is surging, or when there are simply too many things plugged into the same outlet. However, your AC system should have its own dedicated circuit which means that it should not trip unless something is directly wrong with your AC system. That said, sometimes random things do happen and it is not an emergency if your air conditioning system circuit trips once. However, if it starts tripping repeatedly, it is time to call for AC repair in Fort Worth, TX.
If your air conditioning system keeps tripping your circuit, there’s a chance that there is something wrong with the electrical wiring within it. Something is triggering your circuit to think that it is overloaded and therefore shutting off in order to protect your home. You don’t want to override the safety feature because if it is tripping repeatedly, there is something that may be potentially threatening your home. Fires and safety issues are very real, so this is something that you need to call for help right away to get addressed. Some people would even consider this a situation in which you need emergency AC repair.
Odd Noises
Another thing that you should be on the lookout for are all noises that come from your air conditioning system. Chances are if you hear any of these, you already know that they are weird, but the trick is realizing that you need to pay attention to them. A lot of people like to turn a blind eye to anything weird with their AC system because they don’t want to deal with the AC repair. This is not the best course of action because long term it means you may be dealing with a breakdown.
It is better to take action when you know that something is going on. This means if you start to hear gurgling noises, knocking noises, whistling, noises, or anything else you need to have an AC repair company come out and take a look. In Texas, it is simply too hot to wait until your system breaks down to have someone take a look at it. It is always better to get ahead of the repair and have time to schedule an AC repair at your own convenience.
Disturbing Smells
Sounds are not the only sense that you should use to detect a problem with your AC system. If you start to smell something weird coming out of your ductwork this is a clear sign that something is going on inside of your ducts. Many people fail to remember that their ductwork is an essential part of their AC system, and if something is brewing inside of it, then you need to resolve it before you have a major problem on your hands.
Sometimes an unpleasant smell just means that it’s time for a duct cleaning service, but other times it means it’s time for AC repair because something could be seriously wrong with your system. For instance, the smell of mold or mildew may mean that you have some mold growing within your dark ducts because of somebody spilling something down a vent. On the other hand, if you smell smoke or something, sulfuric, this could indicate a gas or an electrical problem that needs to be immediately addressed by an emergency AC repair company for the safety of everyone in your home. Pay attention to what you smell because it may be telling you about a bigger problem.
Decreased Air Current
Another sign that there may be something up for your air conditioning system is if you notice that there’s a decreased amount of air flowing through your air vents. In many cases, this is a sign something is blocking your air duct, especially if the issue was isolated to only one vent. In this case, all you probably need is a duct cleaning service. However, if you notice decreased air blowing out of vents throughout your home then it’s probably time to call an AC repair company. In this situation, there’s probably something bigger going on and most of the time it’s going to be related to your fan.
Decreased airflow causes a lot more problems than just discomfort. Initially, it may cause your system to cycle more often which will run up your energy bills and cause more wear and tear on your system. Over time it’ll probably lead to your AC system not being able to properly cool your home, which will leave you in a much bigger system. Especially if it breaks down from trying too hard. With that in mind, if you notice that airflow is not consistent within your home, you should call an AC repair company to get to the bottom of the situation.
Visible Ice on the Outdoor Unit
Another issue that requires your direct attention is ice outside on your outdoor unit. It is interesting that even in the middle of a 100° summer in Fort Worth, TX, some people will still ignore this and think that it’s normal because that’s what an AC system should be doing. However, that is not true and is actually a big indication that something is going wrong because in order for ice to form at that kind of temperature, there has to be something chemical involved in the situation.
Usually, that something is a problem with a refrigerant leak near the evaporator coils that allows ice to form. This is a big indication of a potential problem because it can snap your evaporator coils and cause permanent damage that results in the replacement of your entire outdoor AC unit. Therefore, this is not something you want to sleep on. If you notice that there is ice on your outdoor unit you need to call for AC repair right away so you can get to the bottom of the issue before permanent damage occurs.
Rapid Cycling
Another sign something is going on with your air conditioning system is if you notice that the system is starting to rapidly cycle. Rapid cycling is a phenomenon when your AC system cycles more often than you are used to. In other words, if it is turning on and off constantly. Most people have a general idea of how often their AC runs, so if you notice that it seems like it is always turning on and off this is a sign that either your thermostat is off or your AC unit is not properly able to cool your home.
When a system is working at its best, it does not have to run around the clock in order to cool your home. If it is cycling this way, then you know something is going on that needs to be quickly addressed. Outside of extreme energy use that is going to send your energy bill skyrocketing, this usually happens when your system is overcompensating for a broken component or something that isn’t working correctly, if you don’t get to the bottom of this issue, you will find yourself in need of AC repair when your system breaks down completely. It’s best to get ahead of that situation and find out what is going on.
You Notice Something Leaking
Another clear sign that something is wrong that requires AC repair at your Fort Worth, TX home is if you notice a leak near your AC system. There is never a good reason for a leak near your AC unit. Therefore, if you see one you know, right away you need to call somebody for assistance. The only liquid that could be leaping out of an AC unit is refrigerant, and that is a highly toxic substance. In addition to being highly toxic to children and pets, it also will leave your AC unit unable to cool your home.
Therefore, if you notice a leak around your AC unit, the first thing you need to do is make sure that no one can access it in your home and then you need to call for AC repair properly so that the leak can be identified, fixed and the refrigerant can be refilled. This needs to be done by a properly certified HVAC technician and it’s not a repair that you can handle on your own, because refrigerant is highly controlled and regulated.
Thermostat Is Not Working
Finally, the last reason that you may need to call for AC repair is if you notice that your thermostat is not working. This commonly occurs when your thermostat is set to one temperature in your home but your home remains hot. Sometimes the batteries in your thermostat simply need to be replaced but other times you need to call for help from a registered technician in Fort Worth, TX.
If you are ready to address problems with your AC system, contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth today.
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