5 Signs It’s Time To Schedule An Appointment For AC Repair | Irving, TX
When it starts getting hot outside, you rely on your air conditioner to keep your house cool and comfortable, and as long as the unit does its job, it’s the last thing on your mind. It isn’t until something goes wrong that you start to worry.
Your home will get hot without a functional air conditioner, and on a 90-degree day, the temperature inside can reach 120 degrees. It’s essential to detect issues early so the necessary repair can be made before the problem escalates, and then call a professional in AC repair in Irving, TX.
Your air conditioner is a complex system, and a DIY repair isn’t recommended. If you make one mistake, you could cause further issues, which will cost more for an HVAC tech to fix. Also, you should never work with an electrical appliance without the necessary training. Finally, a DIY repair will void the unit’s warranty, and you’ll need to pay for all future repairs yourself.
If your air conditioner experiences any of the following problems, it’s best to hire a professional in AC repair in Irving, TX.
#1 Broken Thermostat
Your thermostat is your HVAC system’s brain and tells the air conditioner when to kick on and how cool you want your home. If an issue occurs with the thermostat, the unit won’t get the correct signal or any signal at all to follow the commands.
The thermostat will exhibit signs if its no working correctly, including:
- The thermostat won’t light up, even after changing the batteries.
- The thermostat is unresponsive.
- The temperature in the house doesn’t match the thermostat setting.
- The air conditioner cycles more frequently than it should.
If you suspect your thermostat isn’t working properly, call an AC repair service. They will send a tech to your home to check the thermostat to determine if it can be fixed or if a replacement is better.
If the tech suggests you replace the thermostat, it’s best to buy a thermostat to help save money on your energy bills. Programmable thermostats have been around for a while and allow you to create a week-by-week schedule based on when you’re home and when you aren’t. If you don’t have the time or patience to program the thermostat, other options are available.
- Wi-Fi thermostat: Wi-Fi thermostats don’t need to be programmed, and you can adjust the setting from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. You can turn the unit on and off and adjust the temperature using your Smartphone or tablet, and it’s more convenient than a programmable model.
- Smart thermostat: If you have an Amazon Alexa or Google Home, you should consider a smart thermostat. You can turn the unit on and off and adjust the setting with the sound of your voice when you’re home. When you aren’t, you can use the smart device’s app on your Smartphone or tablet to control the unit, as long as you have an internet connection.
A faulty thermostat will affect how the air conditioner performs, so it’s best to call an AC repair professional in Irving, TX, if you suspect a problem.
#2 Warm Air Coming From the Vents
If you feel warm air coming from the vents when the unit runs, it’s the most obvious sign there’s a problem. You may need to call an AC repair service in Irving, TX; however, you should check a few things first. The last thing you want is to pay for a service call when the problem is something you can handle yourself.
First, check the thermostat settings. It must be set to the cooling mode, the fan has to be set to auto, and it must be warmer in the house than the thermostat setting. If it isn’t set correctly, making the necessary adjustment will solve the problem.
Next, check the air filter. If you haven’t replaced it according to schedule, the dirt and grime covering the filter will prevent adequate airflow in the unit, causing the air conditioner to overheat and produce warm air.
If everything checks out on your end, it’s time to call an AC repair professional. A few problems can prevent the unit from producing cold air, and you’ll need an HVAC professional to determine what’s going wrong.
The potential issues include:
- The compressor isn’t working; The indoor unit and outdoor compressor work together to keep your home cool and comfortable. The air conditioner will produce warm air if no power goes to the compressor or it isn’t working correctly.
- Frozen evaporator coils: The evaporator coils extract heat and humidity from the home to begin the cooling process. If they’re frozen, they can’t do their job, and you’ll feel warm air coming from the unit.
A few issues can cause the coils to freeze, including:- Dirty coils
- Lack of airflow in the unit
- Refrigerant problems
- Clogged drain pipe
- The outdoor temperature is too low to use the AC
- An AC repair professional in Irving, TX, can thaw the coils and figure out why they froze so the necessary steps can be taken to prevent them from freezing again.
- Refrigerant leak: Your air conditioner needs refrigerant to produce cold air. If you see a yellowish-green fluid around the unit, the refrigerant is leaking. When acid eats away at the metal, it can cause tiny pinholes, allowing the refrigerant to leak.
If you installed the unit after 2010, an AC repair tech can fix the leak and refill the refrigerant. If you installed the unit before 2010, it must be replaced. Units built before 2010 use R-22 refrigerant, which is toxic and depletes the ozone layer, and a partial ban went into effect. On January 1, 2020, a complete ban was placed on R-22 in the United States and is no longer available. The tech won’t bother fixing the leak because they won’t have R-22 to refill the unit, and replacing the air conditioner is the only option.
#3 Restricted Airflow
You should feel a powerful rush of cold air from the vents when the air conditioner runs. If you feel minimal airflow, there’s a problem that can cause further issues if not addressed quickly. For example, poor airflow will cause the unit to work harder to keep your house comfortable, causing your energy bills to increase. Also, when the unit works overtime, it can decrease its lifespan, and you’ll need to replace the unit sooner than necessary.
A few issues can restrict the airflow, and you’ll need to hire a professional in AC repair in Irving, TX, to determine which one affects the airflow. The potential causes include:
- Clogged air ducts: Over time, the dirt, dust, and debris in your home will accumulate in the air ducts. In one year, up to five pounds of debris can accumulate and can restrict the airflow. Clogged ducts will affect your home’s temperature and your family’s health. When the air conditioner runs, the debris will circulate in the air, causing allergy symptoms.
An AC repair professional in Irving, TX, can clean the debris from the ducts, restoring the airflow. When the job is complete, the allergy symptoms will dissipate. - Damaged air ducts: The air ducts deliver the cold air from the unit to the vents throughout your house. If there’s a crack or break in the ducts or the seal fails, the cold air will escape from the damaged area before reaching the ducts, resulting in limited airflow.
An HVAC tech will inspect the ducts to find the damaged area and make the necessary repair and restore the airflow. - Broken blower: The cold air cannot reach the vents fast enough, and the unit has a blower to force the cold air through the ducts to the vents. If the blower isn’t working, you’ll feel minimal airflow from the vents.
An AC repair professional can check the blower to determine if it can be fixed or must be replaced.
Restricted airflow will cost you money over time, so it’s best to have the problem addressed by a professional in AC repair as soon as the trouble starts.
#4 Foul Odors
Your air conditioner is designed to produce clean, odorless air. It’s not uncommon to smell dust when you turn on the AC for the first time during the cooling season, and the smell will dissipate within a few minutes. If you smell something other than dust when the unit runs, there’s a problem that can put your home and family at risk, and you’ll need to call an AC repair service immediately. The odor will help the tech figure out what’s going on.
- Burning: A burning smell indicates a wiring issue, and the odor occurs when the wire insulation burns. This is a serious problem because all wiring issues can start an electrical fire that can destroy your home in minutes if left ignored. If you smell something burning, turn off the air conditioner and call an AC repair service. They’ll send tech to your house to examine the unit and the wiring and make the necessary repairs before a disaster strikes.
- Mold: A moldy smell indicates a serious problem that requires an immediate call to a professional in AC repair. The most common cause is mold in the air ducts, which can put your family’s health at risk. When the unit runs, mold spores will circulate in the air, causing mold-related health problems, including:
- Allergy symptoms
- Chronic headaches
- Skin rashes
- Burning eyes, nose, and throat
- Respiratory issues
- Weakened immune system
- Worsens chronic lung or respiratory conditions
- An AC repair tech will inspect the ducts for the presence of mold and can eradicate it with an antimicrobial fogger. If they don’t find mold in the ducts, it could be in the air conditioner, which can happen if you don’t have the unit maintained every year. It is more challenging to eliminate mold from the unit, and if the tech can’t get every mold spore, you’ll need to replace the unit to keep your family healthy.
#5 Your Home Is Humid
Your air conditioner is designed to eliminate the humidity from the air, and if your house is humid, it’s best to call an AC repair service.
A few issues can prevent the unit from eliminating the humidity, including:
- The evaporator coils are dirty.
- The thermostat fan is set at “ON.”
- The thermostat isn’t working correctly, causing the unit to cycle too frequently to have an effect on the humidity.
- You just installed the unit, and it’s too large for your home and will cycle too frequently to eliminate the humidity.
An AC repair service will send a tech to your home to inspect the unit and figure out what’s causing the problem so that it can be resolved. Humidity makes your house feel sticky and hotter than it actually is, so it’s best to make the call immediately.
Call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas Today
If your air conditioner is acting up and you need to hire a professional in AC repair, look no further than One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas. We’re a full-service HVAC company and have been serving customers in the area since 1988, and many of our customers have been working with us for over 30 years.
Our techs are professionally trained, licensed, and NATE-certified. They have the knowledge, skill, and experience to handle the most challenging jobs in the HVAC industry. HVAC technology is constantly evolving, so our techs are required to receive ongoing training to ensure they can install, maintain, and repair the latest models.
Your comfort is important to us, so we provide an emergency system 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you have a problem that affects your comfort or something goes wrong on a weekend or holiday, we’ll get a tech to your home as quickly as possible to resolve the issue.
To schedule an appointment for air conditioning repair or any other HVAC service, call us today.