Be prepared
If you’ve ever been in a home without an air conditioner, then you truly understand how miserable and uncomfortable a hot summer day can be. If you had to pick, you’d probably always choose that your air conditioner be in good working condition versus broken. This is especially true for residents of Fort Worth, Texas, where average summer temperatures easily hover in the mid-90s. Think again before you make a day out of Fort Worth Zoo or Ridgmar Mall. Your air conditioner may be giving you clues that it is closer to a breakdown than you thought.
Listen closely
When starting up your air conditioner, do you notice any unusual noises such as squealing, grinding, or rumbling? This may be a sign that one or several components are on their way out the door. Some things the sounds could indicate are: worn accessory belts, unlubricated bearings, broken fan blades, or clogged pipes.
If you notice these symptoms, don’t hesitate to call an HVAC specialist before further damage piles up. If you neglect the sounds for too long, the air conditioner may develop further issues that require an AC replacement.
What’s that smell?
Do you notice any odd smells coming from the vents when you run the air conditioner? This could be one of a couple problems, depending on the smell. If it smells like mildew or mold, it is likely air ducts clogged with debris from. Besides the unpleasant smell, this issue will impact the airflow of your entire cooling system and drive up the cost of your energy bill. If the smell is intense, and smells like burnt rubber, it just might be. If the wires wear out on the components of your air conditioner, they may burn up and cause a hazard. Call an air conditioner expert to investigate the problem further before it escalates to needing an AC replacement.
Losing my cool
If the air blowing from your vents isn’t as cold as it’s used to be—or cold whatsoever—it could indicate a problem with your air conditioner’s refrigerant levels. If this is the case, you will need to call an experienced HVAC serviceman to take a look at the levels. Working with the refrigerant, Freon, is extremely dangerous, and should only be handled by a professional.
This blows (not)
You go to switch on your air conditioner, and when you do, no air blows out. What is this? If you’ve already resolved the issue of clogged air ducts, then you may have a bigger problem at hand. No air coming from your vents could indicate a failing air compressor. This problem will need replacement parts or an entire AC replacement, if you cannot justify the costly repairs for this job. Consider weighing the prices of new air conditioners at a wholesale air conditioner store with the repair costs in order to make a better judgement call.