Sounds You Shouldn’t Hear Your AC System Make

It goes without saying that our air conditioners are already getting a lot of use this summer, and there’s more to come. When you’re using your air conditioner so much, it’s natural to be a little concerned about problems that might crop up. After all, they accumulate wear and tear every time they operate.

Fortunately, if you have maintenance done at the beginning of the summer season or before summer began, then you’re likely in good shape! Maintenance allows our technicians to fully inspect, clean, and adjust components that need it to help your air conditioner work as efficiently and effectively as possible. It’s also during maintenance that we’ll become aware of any small repair needs that you should manage before they become much bigger repair needs.

Didn’t schedule maintenance yet? No worries, it’s not too late! Call us today to get that on your calendar. In the meantime, it’s good news to be aware of signs that your air conditioner might need some repair work too. One of these signs is that your air conditioner is making strange noises. What constitutes a strange noise, though, and what should you do about it? Read on!

Hissing/Gurgling/Bubbling

The exact sound you’ll hear will be dependent on where in your air conditioner it’s coming from and what stage the refrigerant is in (whether it’s liquid or gas at the time) but they all mean the same thing–you have a refrigerant leak. What’s happening is that there’s a hole or crack in the refrigerant line, and if in liquid form the refrigerant will bubble out or you might hear a gurgling noise. If it’s in gas form then you may instead hear a hissing sound.

Refrigerant leaks are a big deal–perhaps bigger than you realize. They deprive your air conditioning system of the substance that’s needed to actually provide cooling to your home. As the refrigerant level in the cooling system drops, so too does its ability to cool your home. Eventually, the refrigerant level drops to the point that the air conditioner can’t sustain operation, and it will break down. Be sure to call for repairs as soon as you can if you hear this sound!

Grinding

Are you hearing something that resembles metal on metal? Then you probably are hearing metal on metal, in the form of your air handler motor bearings wearing down and creating friction. This is a natural part of wear and tear that we check during maintenance, but this doesn’t mean you should ignore the sound if you hear it. You’ll need to have those motor bearings lubricated so the friction doesn’t continue. Otherwise, it can cause your air conditioner to overheat and break down.

Short-Cycling

Short-cycling is the name given to the process where an air conditioner turns on and off rapidly, never actually completing a full cooling cycle. This is both the symptom of a problem and the cause of further problems in an air conditioning system. If you let short-cycling go on for too long, it can create a domino effect of problems, eventually resulting in a complete system breakdown. Call us if you notice short-cycling!

For quality air conditioning repairs, look no further than HendrixAir, Inc. Contact us today. Delivering friendly, five-star service, every time!

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