So the heat is increasing outside, and now your asking yourself “why is my air conditioner not working?”
This post is related to residential and commercial air conditioner units, that have an indoor evaporator with an outdoor condenser.
Why is your air conditioner not working?
In Alberta, our main cooling season is not a 12 month season. We run our air conditioners only 4 to 7 months a year, depending on our current weather.
This is why there is only so many things that can go wrong with your air conditioner.
One of the most common reasons for your air conditioner not working, is a plugged condenser
If you don’t have an air conditioner cover, then seasonal debris will fall and collect inside the unit. This includes leaves, poplar fuzz, air debris flown in by the wind, and not to mention what may collect during our winter season.
If you have pets, then pet hair will accummulate on the outside of the unit, causing plugged coils.
At RBA Mechanical, one of the very first things we do, when a call comes in for an air conditioner not working, is a good old fashioned air conditioner maintenance service. You can order your maintenance service through our online store here.
With our maintenance service, we include our premium deep clean service for both the outdoor condenser and the indoor evaporator.
The second common cause is your furnace filter
Thats right. I said your furnace filter. The basic operation of your air conditioning system, is that cool air flows through the furnace duct system. This can’t happen properly if your furnace filter is in bad shape, or too dense for cool air to flow through.
At RBA Mechanical, we always recommend you replace your furnace air filter often (every 1 to 3 months). This makes sure you have good clean filters for air to easly pass through. Our second recommendation is to use less dense air filters during the cooling season. Less dense filters allow for cooler air to pass through much easier, making your air conditioning system more efficient.
Refrigerant leaks can cause the air conditioner to quite working
Now that the good deep-clean service has been completed, and your furnace filter is in good shape, the next cause can be loss of refrigerant. An air conditioning system requires an exact amount of refrigerant to properly cool and de-humidify the air inside your home. If a leak is suspected, we can add leak detection dye and inspect your air conditioning system for leaks. We can also add leak sealant, to help seal small leaks within the air conditioning system.
Component failure will prevent your air conditoner from working
The last item on our list, is component failure.
The simple, least expensive components, include the “filter dryer” on your outdoor condenser, and your room thermostat. But other components may also include your furnace control board, or the compresser for your outdoor unit.
Compresser failure is usually most commonly caused by “suffocating” air flow. Meaning, the unit has been trying to run too long with a plugged outdoor condenser. This may include force running your air conditioner for long periods of time when the condenser is plugged. There may be other conditons, but a proper technician knows how to test these components and diagnose.
Click here to learn more about our air conditioning services.
What you can do
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