Air-Conditioning Repair Signs: When You Need To Call

When it comes to home air-conditioning, many people use it and don't think much about it until it stops running the way that it should. In fact, what a lot of homeowners don't realize is that your air-conditioner will give you signs that it needs repair long before it completely fails. You just have to know what to watch for. There are a few different things that you should watch for in your air conditioner that indicate that it is in need of repairs. 

High Energy Costs

Most of the time, your energy costs should be pretty predictable. When you look at your year-over-year comparisons during the summer months, there shouldn't be a big difference. However, if you notice that your energy bills in the summer are suddenly climbing higher, that's a sign that your air conditioner may be working far harder than it should be. Whether it's due to a leak that's led to insufficient refrigerant or a frozen evaporator coil, you'll want to have an air-conditioning repair technician inspect and repair the system.

Ice On The Air Conditioner

Your air conditioner draws moisture and heat from the air by passing the air over the evaporator coils where the refrigerant flows. When excess moisture is left on the surface of the coils or the machine is running inefficiently, the system will start to create ice crystals on the evaporator coils. Left unaddressed, that ice will spread to other areas of the air conditioner. If you're seeing any ice on the air conditioner, you should talk with an air-conditioning repair technician.

Unusual Smells

You shouldn't notice any kind of marked odor from your air conditioner. If you're smelling anything odd from your air conditioner, that's a warning that there's a problem. Electrical or burning smells are an urgent cause for concern. If you smell something like that, you'll want to make sure that you turn the unit off right away and call for repair.

Any chemical or sulfur-type odor could indicate a leak, a circuit board problem, or something similar. In those situations, you'll need to have the air conditioner tested for short circuits and refrigerant leaks as soon as possible.

Understanding when your air conditioner needs attention is important. Reach out to a local air-conditioning repair technician right away if you see any signs of issues with your air conditioner. If the problem you're having isn't listed here, you can call your repair technician to help you troubleshoot and correct the problem.