Having sufficient air conditioning is essential when living in Leesburg, FL. The fact that an AC system in Florida runs frequently throughout the year means that issues will likely arise at some point. When any issue with your AC comes up, getting it fixed quickly is key to making sure your home is comfortable. This also helps to protect the life of your system.
An Increase in Your Electricity Bill
Your electricity bills will fluctuate from month to month. Run time is determined by how hot the weather has been and how much you’re running your air conditioning. Nonetheless, a sudden spike in usage or continually increasing electric bills is usually a good indication that your AC system is no longer working as efficiently as it used to.
There is a wide variety of issues that can contribute to a decrease in the energy efficiency of an AC system. This includes things like a failing compressor, malfunctioning blower, refrigerant leak, dirty coils, etc. Any of these issues can put extra strain on an AC system and cause it to experience more wear and tear. As such, you want to get the issue diagnosed and fixed before it leads to your AC breaking down. These issues can also lead to your system failing completely.
Long Cooling Cycles
Along with high electricity bills, you may notice your AC is suddenly taking longer than normal to cool your house. Even in Florida, a well-performing AC system’s cooling cycles should typically only last for 15 to 20 minutes. The system should normally turn on when the temperature rises one to two degrees above the thermostat setting and then bring the temperature back down quickly.
The length of the cooling cycle will increase if the system has to bring the temperature down by more than a couple of degrees. It can also take a bit longer for the system to cool your house when it’s extremely hot and humid outside. Nonetheless, if your AC frequently runs for 30 to 60 minutes or more on an average day, it’s a sure sign that the system isn’t working effectively. It may need to be repaired.
Short Cycling
Short cycling refers to an issue where an AC system only runs for a few minutes, turns off, and then comes on again not long after it shuts off. Short cycling can happen because the AC condenser unit is too large, resulting in the system cooling so fast that it never runs for long. It can also happen because the air filter is clogged, the system has a refrigerant leak, there’s an issue with the thermostat, or an electrical issue is present.
No matter what the cause is, it’s something you should get fixed as soon as you can. Not only does short cycling lead to increased energy consumption, but it also greatly increases wear and tear. This can cut years from a system’s life if you don’t quickly have the problem taken care of.
High Indoor Humidity
One thing many people aren’t aware of is that air conditioning helps to control indoor humidity along with heat. That’s because the process it uses to remove heat from the air flowing through the system also results in moisture in the air condensing and the air becoming drier. Even in Florida’s humid climate, an AC system that’s functioning at its peak will usually be able to remove enough moisture that it prevents the house from feeling muggy and overly humid. If you notice that your house often feels uncomfortable or you frequently have issues with condensation, it can be a sign that your AC isn’t working as well as it should.
AC Frequently Freezes Up
Even though the evaporator coil in an AC system is quite cold when the system is running, the moisture that condenses on the coil should normally just drip straight down into the drain pan. That’s because the hot air that’s constantly flowing over the coil keeps the water warm enough that it doesn’t freeze. Nonetheless, there can be situations where there isn’t sufficient air flowing over the coil, resulting in the water freezing and the coil icing up. The evaporator coil will freeze because the system’s air filter is so dirty that it prevents sufficient air from getting pulled in. This can also happen because the AC blower is wearing out and is not able to pull in as much air as it should.
An evaporator coil can also freeze because the refrigerant is colder than it should be or can’t absorb as much heat as it should. The first issue normally happens because the system has a refrigerant leak, resulting in the refrigerant pressure being too low and its temperature dropping too much. The latter issue usually results from the evaporator coil being overly dirty. The dust on the coil reduces how much heat the refrigerant can absorb.
If you continue to experience issues with your AC freezing and then blowing hot air, the first thing to do while you’re waiting for the evaporator coil to thaw out is to change the air filter. If the system continues freezing up, you may need to have the coil cleaned or the blower repaired or replaced.
Our technician may determine whether the system is low on refrigerant. We will need to find the leak and then drain and capture all the refrigerant so they can repair the leak. Unfortunately, fixing a leak in an AC system can be quite expensive and may require replacing either the evaporator coil inside the house or the condenser coil in the outdoor AC unit.
Excessive Noise or Unusual Sounds
One last thing you should watch is if the indoor or outdoor part of your AC system starts producing much more noise or makes any unusual sounds. Excessive noise usually indicates that the blower motor, compressor motor, or condenser fan motor is wearing out or malfunctioning.
Unusual noises can result from a wide variety of issues depending on what the specific noise is. For instance, humming or buzzing sounds coming from the outdoor unit often indicate the compressor motor is wearing out or that the start or run capacitor has failed. A hissing sound is almost always a sign of a refrigerant leak. Squealing or screeching usually means the bearings that drive one of the system’s motors are worn out and need to be replaced. Many of these issues can potentially be fatal if not fixed correctly, meaning you shouldn’t ignore them.
Since 2002, M&S Air Conditioning has been the go-to source for HVAC and plumbing services in Leesburg and the surrounding areas. Our experienced technicians have experience working with all makes and models of cooling and heating equipment and can diagnose and repair HVAC concerns, including ductwork issues.
If you’re experiencing any of the issues in this article, give us a call to schedule an inspection for your air conditioning and make sure the problem is fixed correctly.
