Summertime should be a time of relaxation, rest, and maybe vacationing, but definitely not a time or worry and expense because you suddenly discover your air conditioner not cooling as it should be. A well qualified heating and air conditioning technician can be invaluable during the summer months if this occurs. However if the problem is serious enough your bank account could suffer. Many times though the problem can be solved with a quick check of your system if you know what to look for. Below are some simple things to look for that may save you money whether or not you decide to use the services of a service technician.
* Dirty coils - The coils on your inside unit are a magnet to dust and dirt. Even if you are diligent in replacing your air filters every 3 months as you should, it is inevitable that eventually your coil system will need cleaning. Make sure you turn the power off to the main unit before inspecting the coils. Use a cleaner recommended by a local service store for best results (a quick call should do the trick). Be forewarned though as this is a dirty job, so be prepared with gloves, a shop vac, and an ample supply of disposable towels.
Hot Air Soldering
* Poor insulation - If you live in a particularly hot climate you may notice some of your rooms are not as cool as others. The thermostat may read properly but poor insulation will not allow the air to cool sufficiently. Check all door seals and attic spaces for improper insulation. Sometimes the problem can be solved by installing a few extra rolls in the attic space above. Upstairs rooms are typically more difficult to cool and may require additional insulation material.
* Crimped or blocked air ducts- If only one or two rooms suffer from inadequate cooling, check the air ducts supplied to those rooms. Occasionally they can become blocked with dirt, or cotton/fiberglass material and block the flow of air. This may require detaching the duct from the source and blowing air into it. Such as from a squirrel cage fan or a shop vac to see if there is adequate air flow. Other times the blockage may be a crimped duct. Check all air pathways for damage such as holes or crimps.
* Bad terminal - If you cannot hear the compressor come on from the outside unit, but the inside unit is blowing air (but not cool air), check the terminal at the box. Sometimes just replacing this can solve the problem immediately. If not, then you may have a compressor problem.If the compressor is coming on and the inside unit seems to be working properly, you may have insufficient freon. Freon leaks are rare, but they do happen in older units. This requires hooking the unit to a freon gauge. Again, this is best done by a licensed technician.
* Bad compressor - If the compressor in the outside unit doesn't come on as it should, or intermittently comes on, you may get by with a "starter kit" in some cases. Ask your technician if this is a plausible solution before considering replacing the compressor. Word of warning: A bad compressor in an older unit may be a sign that it is time to replace the entire unit. Replacing just the compressor could be just an expensive short term solution that eventually leads to replacement of the whole unit anyway.