No matter how diligently you care for your air conditioners, some factors can cause them to fail when you need them the most. Fortunately, an AC repair services technician can resolve or manage most of these issues.

If you are wondering what AC failure is, this is when the AC stops working or fails to work as well as you intended it to.

This being the case, it’s a good idea to know the main reasons why an air conditioner may fail. This allows you to complete a repair job more quickly, even without involving experts, when the time comes, and in certain situations, prevent these failures from occurring in the first place.

So, with that said, let’s look at the top causes of air conditioner failure and what you can do about them:

Dirty condenser coils

Condenser coils are located in your air conditioner’s exterior unit. The exterior fan blower blows air across the coils to release heat from the refrigerant before returning it to the inner evaporator coil.

Soil, dust, leaves, and grass clippings accumulating on the condenser coils significantly cause AC decline and failure. If you live near a busy road or have recently started construction near your home, you should clean your condenser coils on a regular basis.

At the very least, you should benefit from cleaning this space before the cooling season begins.

Choose a day to clean when the temperature is at least 60 degrees. You will need a shop vacuum and a garden hose with a spray nozzle.

• Turn off the electricity to the unit, then vacuum any dirt and debris off the unit’s exterior.
• Remove the top grill and carefully pull apart the fan assembly without disturbing wires.
• Wipe off the fan blades and remove leaves, twigs, and other debris.
• Spray the unit from the inside out to remove extra dirt from the coils.
• Once you are done, reassemble and reconnect electricity.

You have refrigerant leaks.

Air conditioners work hard, and at the same time, they are subjected to heat. There are also vibrations. The elements may cause harm to the outside condenser unit. Leaks in refrigerant lines are a common AC problem caused by these pressures. The depletion of refrigerant naturally causes your air conditioner to function poorly.

The problem of leaking refrigerant necessitates professional intervention. Simply refilling the lines may not result in anything except more leaks.

If this is the issue you are facing, you should get in touch with licensed professionals who will evaluate, locate, and fix any air conditioning issues that arise.

The thermostat is malfunctioning.

Sometimes, your air conditioner is in good condition but doesn’t operate. In this case, the electrical system could be the problem. Electrical difficulties are especially prevalent in systems that are turned on and off regularly.

Limiting the frequency with which you turn on and off the air conditioner may help to lessen the likelihood of this happening. When the weather is particularly hot and humid, you can reduce strain on electrical components by increasing the temperature setting rather than turning off the air conditioner.

When your thermostat fails to communicate correctly with the equipment, you will likely need to replace it. A programmable thermostat allows you to arrange multiple cooling settings based on your preferences.

The evaporator coil is frozen.

A frozen evaporator coil is a typical cause of air conditioning failure. This interior air conditioning component absorbs heat from the air through the refrigerant-filled coil. It may freeze if the coil becomes too cold owing to insufficient airflow or a low refrigerant charge.

Symptoms of a frozen evaporator coil include reduced airflow, warm air from the vents, and water leaking around the AC when the ice melts.

You should contact a specialist to identify and treat the underlying cause. In the meantime, turn off the air conditioner to protect the compressor and let the ice melt. Feel free to use a hairdryer to expedite the process.

There are damaged parts.

An air conditioner is made up of various components. The two elements that are most likely to cause the cooling system to fail are:

The fans and fan motors. A/C units usually have two fans inside them. One blows air over the outside A/C unit’s condenser to remove absorbed heat from the building, while the other blows interior air over the evaporator coil to cool it.

These fans’ motors can fail if they are malfunctioning. Other causes of fan failure include dirt and debris buildup, belt deterioration, and a lack of lubrication.

The compressor. Unfortunately, losing this element is tantamount to a death sentence for your air conditioner. It is the system’s heart and is the most difficult to replace. You should replace the entire system in case this component fails.

The air filter is clogged.

This is one of the easiest problems to identify and prevent from worsening. A blocked air filter will not only prevent cold air from flowing in and out but also cause the unit to work harder than necessary to achieve the cooled air effect.

The device itself cannot determine why it is clogged in the first place. That is why it is your responsibility to remove the filter and either clean it or replace the filthy or dusty filter with a new one.

What you do to avoid this perfectly preventable failure will be determined by the make and model of your air conditioner.

For a great time, refer to the user manual for instructions on when to clean or replace the unit.

Parting shot

The air conditioner fails when the unit stops working or fails to work as well as it should. As mentioned, this failure can be brought about by several factors.

As you have seen, most failures can be prevented by taking good care of your unit. You can do most of the work by yourself but for the best experience, work with experienced air conditioner repair services Smithtown who know what they are doing.