With a Georgia summer on the way, a faulty A/C is more than a waste of energy; it’s a big threat to your home comfort. Getting your home’s HVAC system tuned up this spring is an excellent preventive measure, but if you have an older air conditioner, you may find that it acts up over the course of the cooling season. If that happens, these tips for troubleshooting A/C problems can come in handy.
Troubleshooting A/C Problems
- Make sure the outdoor unit can breathe. The outdoor unit, or condenser, needs to be able to expel heat into the surrounding air after removing it from your home. If it’s overgrown or blocked by piled objects, it doesn’t get the circulation it needs. That means that your A/C can’t cool your home effectively.
- Check your A/C and thermostat settings. Not only can the settings on the thermostat be accidentally re-adjusted or become out of sync with your unit, but units cool differently based on their heat anticipator. The heat anticipator is the system that controls when a unit will cycle on to prevent your home from becoming too hot. Consult your owner’s manual to learn more about how it’s set in your system.
- Clear the condensate drain of any obstructions and check the condensate pump to make sure it’s working. A malfunctioning condensate pump can lead to standing water, which can provide a breeding ground for mold, mildew, bacteria and mosquitoes. It can also increase humidity in your home, making it hold onto heat.
- Make sure all vents are clear of obstructions like furniture. If vents are closed, open them – even if they’re in disused rooms, to make sure you’re not simply feeding your system with the room’s hot air through the intake vents.
- Ask your local HVAC specialists if your A/C is the proper size, especially if you’ve added energy efficiency upgrades to your home.
Learn more about troubleshooting A/C problems from the pros at Byrd Heating and Air Conditioning or contact us today at 912-373-8447.
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