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4 Signs It’s Time To Call An Air Conditioning Service | Frisco, TX

4 Signs It’s Time To Call An Air Conditioning Service | Frisco, TX

If you’ve spent at least one summer in Texas, you know how hot it can get and how much you rely on your air conditioner. If something goes wrong with the unit, it can affect your home’s temperature, and some problems can put your home and family at risk. It’s essential that you can recognize the signs of a problem, so you can call an air conditioning service in Frisco, TX, before something minor escalates to something more serious, with a more expensive repair bill.

If you’re thinking about fixing the unit yourself, you should understand what a bad idea this is. Air conditioners are complex appliances, and one simple mistake can cause more harm than good. Also, you should never work with electric appliances unless you’re a licensed electrician. Finally, a DIY repair will void the unit’s warranty, and you’ll have to pay for future repairs yourself.

If your air conditioner experiences any of the following problems, you should call an HVAC professional right away.

#1 The Unit Produces Warm Air

This is the most obvious sign it’s time to call an air conditioning service in Frisco, TX. The air conditioner won’t keep your house cool if it doesn’t produce cold air, and your home can get dangerously hot. On a 90-degree day, the temperature inside can reach 120 degrees without a functional air conditioner, putting your family at risk for heat-related conditions, such as heat exhaustion or heatstroke, so it’s best to have the problem addressed immediately.

Before making the call, check a few things on your end. The last thing you want is to be charged for a service call for something you could have done yourself.

First, check the thermostat setting. If it isn’t set to the cooling mode, if the fan isn’t set to auto, or if it’s warmer in the house than the thermostat setting, adjusting the thermostat setting will solve the problem. Next, check the air filter to see if it’s covered in dirt and grime. If so, it will affect the airflow in the unit, causing it to overheat and shut down. Fortunately, you can replace the filter and solve the problem yourself. If everything checks out on your end, it’s time to call an air conditioning service.

A few issues can prevent the unit from producing cold air, and you’ll need an HVAC tech to diagnose the problem correctly. The potential causes include:

  • Refrigerant leak: Your air conditioner won’t produce warm air without an adequate amount of refrigerant in the system. Over time, acid can eat away at the metal part that holds the refrigerant; it will create tiny pinholes that allow the fluid to leak, leaving a yellowish-green puddle of liquid near the unit.
    If you installed your air conditioner after 2010, an air conditioning service in Frisco, TX, will send a tech to your home to fix the leak and repair the fluid, restoring the cold air. However, if you installed the unit before 2010, it can’t be fixed, and you’ll need to replace it with a model manufactured after 2010. Air conditioners built before 2010 can only use R-22 refrigerant, which the EPA discovered is toxic and depletes the ozone layer, and was banned in the United States on January 1, 2020. The HVAC tech won’t waste time fixing the leak because they won’t have R-22 to refill the unit, and your only option is to replace it.
  • Frozen evaporator coils: The unit’s evaporator coils are designed to extract the heat and humidity from the house to start the cooling process. If the coils are frozen, they can’t do their job, and you’ll need to hire an air conditioning service in Frisco, TX.
    A few reasons can cause the evaporator coils to freeze, including:
    • Poor airflow in the unit
    • The unit cycles too often, and the unit won’t have a chance to remove the humidity, causing the coils to freeze.
    • Dirty evaporator coils
    • Refrigerant problems
    • Clogged drainpipe
    • The unit ran when it was too cold outside.
  • An air conditioning service in Frisco, TX, can send a tech to your home to thaw the coils and determine why they froze to prevent it from happening again.
  • Broken compressor: The indoor unit and the outdoor compressor work together to produce cold air. If an issue with the compressor prevents it from working correctly, the air conditioner won’t produce cold air, and you’ll feel warm air coming from the vents.
    An air conditioning service will send a tech to your home to figure out why the compressor isn’t working and make the necessary repair to restore the cold air.

If your air conditioner cannot produce cold air, you shouldn’t wait to make the call. The sooner the problem is resolved, the sooner your house will be cool and comfortable.

#2 Minimal Airflow from the Vents

You should feel a powerful rush of cold air when you stand in front of a vent when the air conditioner runs. If you feel minimal airflow, it can cause costly issues, and it’s best to call an air conditioning service in Frisco, TX.

Your house won’t stay as cool as you like without adequate airflow, and the unit will have to work harder to reach the setting on the thermostat. The extra work will draw more electricity, causing your energy bills to increase. Also, the extra work will strain the unit and could decrease its lifespan, causing you to replace it sooner than necessary. The best way to prevent these complications is to hire an HVAC tech right away.

A few issues can restrict the flow of air from the vents, including:

  • Clogged air ducts: This is the most common cause of poor airflow. Over time, the dirt, dust, and debris in your home will get into the air ducts, and up to five pounds of debris can accumulate in one year. Over a few years, enough debris will accumulate, restricting the airflow from the vents.
    An air conditioning service will send a tech to clean the debris from the vents, restoring adequate airflow. You should also start having the ducts cleaned every three to five years to prevent the problem from happening again.
  • Damaged air ducts: The air ducts are hidden for aesthetic purposes so that you won’t see any visible damage. If a section of the ducts is damaged or cracked, or the seal has failed, the cold air will escape before reaching the vents, resulting in minimal airflow.
    An HVAC tech can inspect the ducts for signs of damage and make the necessary repair to restore adequate airflow.
  • Broken blower: The cold air can’t reach the vents fast enough, so the unit has a blower to force the cold air through the ducts to the vents. If the blower isn’t working correctly, it will affect the airflow, affecting the temperature.
    Fortunately, an HVAC tech can check out the blower to determine if it can be fixed or needs to be repaired. When the job is complete, the airflow will be restored.

Restricted airflow is not a problem that should be ignored, and it’s best to call an air conditioning service in Frisco, TX, as soon as you notice the problem.

#3 Strange Smells

Your air conditioner is designed to produce clean, cold air, and the unit shouldn’t emit a smell when it runs. When you run the AC for the first time during the cooling season, it’s normal to smell dust, but the smell should dissipate within a few minutes. Any other strange smells when the unit runs will require a call to an air conditioning service. The odor can give you an idea of what’s causing the problem, but you’ll need a professional to resolve the issue.

  • Burning; A burning smell should never be ignored, and you should turn off the air conditioner immediately, regardless of how hot it is outside. The odor indicates a wiring issue, and the smell is from burning wire insulation. All wiring problems can start an electrical fire that could destroy your home in minutes, so it’s best to call an air conditioning service immediately. They will send a tech to your home to fix the wiring, ensuring your home and family will be safe when you turn the AC back on.
  • Mold: It’s essential to call an air conditioning service if you smell mold when the AC runs. A moldy smell when the unit runs often indicates the presence of mold in the ducts. Your air ducts are hidden and dark, and when it gets humid, condensation will form in the ducts, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold growth.
    Mold in the ducts will do much more than leave a foul smell in your house and can be hazardous to your family’s health. When the air conditioner runs, mold spores will circulate in the air, putting your family at risk for health issues due to mold exposure, including;
    • Allergy symptoms
    • Burning eyes, nose, and throat
    • Skin rashes
    • Chronic headaches
    • Respiratory issues
    • Weakened immune system
    • Worsens chronic respiratory and lung conditions
  • An air conditioning service will send a tech to your home to inspect the air ducts for mold, which can be eradicated with an antimicrobial fogger. If they don’t find mold in the ducts, it could be in the air conditioner, often due to neglecting routine maintenance. The HVAC tech will work their hardest to eliminate the mold; however, if they can’t remove every last spore, you’ll need to replace the unit to ensure your family remains healthy. Whether the tech can eliminate the mold or you must replace the AC, you should consider having a UV light installed in the unit to prevent future mold growth.

Because foul odors can have disastrous repercussions, it’s best to call an air conditioning service as soon as you detect the smell.

#4 Strange Sounds

Your air conditioner is designed to run quietly because you don’t want to hear loud, distracting sounds all summer. The only sound you should hear when the unit runs is a low-level clicking sound when the unit cycles. If you hear any sounds other than clicking, it’s best to call an air conditioning service.

Sounds such as clanging, banging, hissing, rattling, screeching, and high-pitched screaming indicate problems with the indoor unit or the compressor. In most cases, the problem will get worse the longer it is ignored, and you’ll need an air conditioning service to send a tech to figure out what’s creating the noise so it can be repaired before further damage occurs.

Call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas Today

If your air conditioner acts up and you want to work with the best air conditioning service in the area, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas can help.

We’re a full-service HVAC company, serving customers in the area since 1988. Many of our customers have been working with us for over 30 years, thanks to our excellent service.

Our techs are professionally trained, licensed, and NATE-certified and have the knowledge and skill to handle the most challenging jobs in the industry. HVAC technology is constantly evolving, so our techs receive ongoing education to ensure they can install, maintain and repair the latest HVAC models.

Your comfort is our top priority, so if you have an HVAC issue that affects your home’s temperature, we provide emergency service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The same is true if you have an HVAC issue that puts your home and family at risk. When you call for emergency service, we’ll get a tech to your home as quickly as possible to resolve the problem and get the system up and running again.

We’ve earned an excellent reputation in the community and industry over the years and have a 5-star rating on Google. We’re also an Accredited Business with the Better Business Bureau, with an A+ rating.

To schedule an appointment for air conditioning service or any other HVAC problem, give One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas a call today.

Photo By Victor Yarmolyuk at Shutterstock