Late summer is the time period when air conditioning systems are at the highest risk of suffering a malfunction. It’s not just that this is the time in the summer when the heat level is the highest, but that air conditioners have already done an immense amount of cooling, often starting up in late April and putting in work almost every day after late June. Even with the best regular maintenance from professionals (a service we offer), an AC is in danger of overheating and failing during August and September.
What causes this overheating? It isn’t necessarily the heat—there are other culprits that may lead to an AC shutdown because it’s overworking.
Loss of Refrigerant
Refrigerant is an essential part of air conditioning operation: unless there’s refrigerant, the AC can’t carry out the heat transfer that moves heat from the inside of the house to the outside. But it’s not enough that there just is refrigerant. There must be a specific amount, known as the AC’s charge. If there is less refrigerant because of leaks in the copper refrigerant lines, the air conditioner will soon suffer a full breakdown—one that may cause catastrophic damage to the compressor. If you notice your air conditioner losing cooling power or making a hissing noise, you may have a refrigerant leak, and it needs professionals to repair it.
Clogged Air Filter
This is one of the easiest problems to avoid, and one that people often forget about. The air filter in the HVAC system protects it from debris that enters through the return air vents. However, this filter doesn’t clean itself, so it must be routinely replaced with a clean filter as it picks up dust, lint, etc. A clogged filter will place extra stress on the blower fan motor until the motor overheats. Clogged filters will also affect airflow and trip circuit breakers.
Dirt and Grime on the Condenser Coils
The outdoor cabinet of the AC can collect plenty of dirt over the summer. If this dirt collects along the coils in the cabinet (the condenser coils), it makes it harder for the AC to release the heat carried from the indoors. This will trap too much heat in the air conditioner, which will force the system to run harder and—yes, overheat. Let professionals use special chemicals to handle the cleaning of the coils.
Failed Capacitors
Now here’s a problem that is directly related to the outside heat. Too much heat will cause the capacitors to lose their ability to hold an electrical charge. And that’s a problem, because the job of the capacitors is to send electrical charges to the motors to start them running and keep them running. When capacitors fail, the motors will stop working. To fix the problem, technicians must replace the capacitors.
An overheated AC usually requires air conditioning repair in Orland Park, IL from skilled HVAC experts. Our team is here to help you with any AC repair you need, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.