When it gets hot and sticky outside, you need an air conditioner to keep your family comfortable and cool inside. To ensure your unit runs smoothly during the warmer season, preventative maintenance is a must. During an annual inspection, a well-trained technician can find and fix problems that plague performance. Here is a list of a few frequently experienced AC problems and how to address them.

What Common Issues Do Air Conditioners Experience?

1. Electrical Failure

Electrical problems with a circuit breaker or fuse, the fan motor, or the wiring often cause AC units to shut down or fail to operate. Also, the compressor, which expels hot air to the outdoors, has a pressure switch that may shut off on days when it’s brutally hot because of electrical overload.

Wait five minutes before resetting any tripped breakers or the pressure switch. If a power surge wasn’t responsible for your cooling system shutdown, don’t try to fix any problems with the fan motor or corroded wiring yourself. The risk of life-threatening injuries from shock is too high. Have a professional check your AC and fix issues with faulty motors, wiring, and belts.

2. Drainage Leaks

The moisture in humid air that air conditioners remove from homes trickles through a line into a pan and out through a drain. If a drain line clogs or the pain overfills, water may back up into your HVAC system and damage it.

The smart tip for addressing drain problems is not neglecting regular maintenance. During a preventative service call, a technician will use a stiff wire brush to clean drainage channels to prevent moisture buildup and keep your AC running smoothly.

3. Overcharged or Undercharged Refrigerant Levels

If the amount of refrigerant—a volatile liquid—in the lines that carry it between components doesn’t comport with the manufacturer’s specifications, your air conditioner won’t operate efficiently or properly cool a home. An excess or deficiency in refrigerant could be the result of a poor installation.

Or, if the amount of refrigerant in your system—the charge—is low, your air conditioner may have a line leak. Refrigerant is harmful to the environment and inhaling its fumes is dangerous to your health. If you suspect a leak, call for service. After an air conditioning contractor finds and repairs a leak, they’ll recharge your AC’s refrigerant levels to bring them back to normal.

Don’t get caught without air conditioning when it’s hot outside. If your AC isn’t working the way it should, contact the heating and cooling specialists at Bradford & Sons Electrical Plumbing & Heating in Canandaigua, NY. Since 1975, they’ve delivered reliable and cost-effective installations and repairs to residential and commercial clients around Rochester. Visit them online to review a roster of their services or call (585) 657-7309 to make an appointment for maintenance, installation, or repair.