Every Los Angeles resident, whether they have AC at home or not, knows about how stuffy and hot it can get indoors in LA in the summer, particularly if your home was built without proper AC installed. Regardless if your main air conditioner problem is not having AC or if your HVAC system seems to have gone on summer vacation, Air Planet’s experts can help you with any of Los Angeles common air conditioner problems.
Warm Air
If you notice that while attempting to cool your home down, the AC is cycling warm air, you may have an issue. Before you panic, here are some guidelines to follow:
- If your unit is blowing warm or room temperature air when you’re trying to run the AC, check outside to see if the condenser is functioning, and check if the Freon Line set is cold. If not your system is low on Freon or no freon left in your system
- After confirming whether or not the unit is working, if only condenser fan is working & compressor not, it may be that the unit capacitor needs to be replaced with a new one.
- If it’s a power issue, check your breakers or safety switch. For example, water safety switch may be preventing the unit from turning on.
Leaking Or Pooling
It’s no secret that HVAC systems produce a little condensation, but the emphasis here is on “little”. If there is an obvious drip-down into your home or water pooling, it’s one of those signs your air conditioner needs repair because something with the coolant is off.
The primary reason for this issue is that the condensation line has become clogged, the filter is clogged, or the freon levels are low.
Over-cycling
A cooling cycle is when the AC engages to actively cool and cycling air into the room. You’ll know this by the extra noise produced every so often. These cycles increase in frequency slightly on extremely hot days but should generally stick to a predictable timeframe that isn’t too frequent. Another one of the air conditioner common problems is if you notice the cycles becoming inconsistent or very frequent, this means your AC is struggling. If you’re constantly running your fan, there may be an issue with the circuit board causing it to over-cycle.
Weird sounds
HVAC systems are audible at times but should remain below the noticeable sound level majority of the time. If your AC picks up in noise levels or if it starts to make unfamiliar sounds, you may be looking at another of those air conditioner common problems we all wish didn’t exist.
There may be something wrong with a number of internal parts that require replacement or calibration. This is definitely one of the signs your air conditioner needs repair, likely because the fan blower has become loose or is not working properly.
Unpleasant smells
Your AC’s air shouldn’t really smell like anything at all. If you notice a bad smell and track it to the AC vent, something is definitely off. Buildup of dirt, bacteria, and moisture are the most common causes of odor and a thorough cleaning may be enough to sort the issue out.
Check the intake area and return air. Or, while fairly unpleasant, you may need to check for a dead animal in the system. The smell would be pretty obvious here, and for help removing a carcass if there is one, consider reaching out to a professional.
This is not always the case though. In some circumstances, certain add-ons such as UV lights inside the AC are needed to solve the problem permanently.
Dust
You may have noticed more dust than usual around the house. If you think this is coming from your HVAC system, which is a possibility, it’s a sure sign the system has become dirty, the filter is clogged, and dirt has built up over a long period of time. If the duct system is damaged, it may pick up dusty from the area, as well.
Humidity
If the inside of your home is uncomfortably humid then the AC is failing to moderate the outside air correctly. Modern air conditioning units are built to regulate humidity automatically, and so this is usually fine to leave as is.
Strained or no air-flow
Perhaps the most obvious of the air conditioner common problems list that needs addressing is the airflow issue, which could be for a few reasons:
- If you notice little or no air flowing through the vents, it may mean the system has lost power connection to the furnace.
- Alternatively, the filter may be clogged, which can cause ice to form, and the ice then blocks the coil from letting air through.
- The fan blower is no longer functioning, or the capacitor is not working optimally.
If any of these things happened or your AC stopped working outright, it’s always better to get a qualified technician in to investigate the issue. If your primary problem is not having AC in Los Angeles, call us today to learn more about installing an AC unit in your home.