Now that spring has arrived—officially, if not as far as the weather is concerned—you’re probably making various “spring cleaning” plans and prepping your home for the middle of the year and the change in seasons. One of the important tasks to take care of is to arrange for a routine maintenance inspection and tune-up for the air conditioner, something we talked about in our previous blog post.
Regular maintenance gives an AC the best chance to make it through the coming summer without problems. But maintenance isn’t magic, and it’s a good idea to give your air conditioner a “test run” yourself a few weeks afterwards and before the real heat arrives. There are a number of common air conditioning problems that can strike even a system with the best regular maintenance, so it’s wise to be as prepared as possible. Testing the air conditioner allows you to catch any lingering trouble and have it fixed in time for summer weather.
What to Look for During the Test Run
Pick a day in spring when it’s warm outside but not warm enough to require the air conditioner. Turn the AC on, set the thermostat to lower than the indoor temperature, and then spend an hour walking around the house and the AC’s indoor and outdoor units. Here’s behavior to watch for:
- Short-cycling: There’s a reason we recommend you run the system for at least an hour. This gives you a chance to see if the air conditioner is short-cycling, which is when an AC compressor turns on and off multiple times over a short period. This is damaging to the system and wears down its components faster. There are multiple reasons for this to happen, and most will require a professional to fix. Don’t let your AC run through the summer with short-cycling trouble!
- Low airflow from vents: Check each of the room vents to see if the airflow from them is powerful enough. Sluggish airflow can mean problems with the blower assembly, air leaks along the ducts, or a clogged filter.
- Odd sounds from the cabinets: You don’t want to hear strange sounds you aren’t used to hearing coming from the AC. These include clanging, rattling, mechanical shrieking, clicking, and hissing. Let a professional diagnose what’s causing these sounds and fix them.
- Uneven cooling: Running the AC on a warm day allows you to detect when there are differences in cooling levels around the house. If you notice rooms that are hotter than the rest, it can mean the air conditioner is starting to break down and lose its cooling power. There are other possibilities as well, and you’ll be glad you discovered them early.
If you think you have a faulty AC based on anything you noticed during this test run, don’t hesitate to contact us to arrange for air conditioning services in Plattsburgh, NY. You don’t want the warm weather to arrive and catch you unprepared, and our skilled technicians can see that your cooling system is in top shape.
Red Rock Mechanical LLC: Serving Northwest Vermont and the Plattsburgh, NY area for over 23 years.
