Addressing a Few Common Problems With a Central Air Conditioner

A high-quality central air conditioner may work for years without giving a homeowner any problems, but once your unit starts to act up, you might want to address this as quickly as possible. Neglecting needed repairs can mean allowing the unit to break down even more, and you may be needlessly living without your air conditioner because you didn't realize a repair could be somewhat easy to address. Note a few common problems with a central air conditioner and how to repair them.

No cold air

You may be getting cool air pushed through your home's vents, but know the air should be colder than it is. In this case, check the condenser coils outside the central unit. If they're very dirty and clogged, this may keep your unit hotter than it should be so it cannot create cold air. If you live in an area with hard water, the calcium, lime, and other elements of that water may be clinging to the condenser unit the way it clings to your water fixtures, and this sediment can also be causing blocked airflow. If you notice dust and debris or any type of white scaling on the unit, clean it thoroughly so it can work more readily.

Water around the unit

Your air conditioner will catch water from condensation and drain it into a drain pain under the unit; from there it should evaporate. If there is a kink in the drain line that collects this condensation, it may not be directing it to this reservoir pan and the water may simply spill around the unit. You can check this hose or line inside the unit and note if it's damaged and needs replacing, and this should keep the water flowing where it should go.

Clammy feeling

If your home feels cool but also clammy, meaning there is still humidity in the air, your air conditioner could be too large for your home. It may come on and then cool the space so quickly that it doesn't have time to remove humidity from the home as well. It might also be that your area is simply too humid for the air conditioner to remove that moisture no matter its size, or that your home has a water leak that creates a humid feeling that your air conditioner cannot address. Ask an air conditioning service technician if you should actually downgrade the size of your air conditioner or install a separate dehumidifier in the home to remove the moisture the A/C unit cannot.