Air conditioners are complex machines. This means that their problems aren’t one-dimensional. Usually, an air conditioner that runs into a problem needs to be properly diagnosed by a professional because the source of the problem can be complicated. For instance, an air conditioner can make a strange noise or give off a foul odor, and both of those are different problems with their own processes for repairs.
So, what are we getting at here? This all sounds like helpful information but what’s the point?
Well, we’d like to give you an example of 3 specific AC issues that are at different ends of the service spectrum. One of them is a strange noise, another is a foul odor, and the last is an odd cycling time. Each of these problems is wildly different, but all of them require professional AC repair in Sapulpa, OK.
Newfound Noises
Noises are never really a good sign when you detect them coming from your air conditioner. Sure, you should normally hear a gentle hum while the system blows conditioned air through your air vents and into the rooms of your house, but anything beyond that is a bad sign.
Yes, we mean grinding, shrieking, rattling, shaking, bubbling, hissing… While these all denote different kinds of problems, they’re all symptoms of problems that need to be looked at by a professional.
Think of it this way–your air conditioner can’t talk. But if it could talk, this would be its way of stopping you and telling you that it needs to be fixed before it breaks down. It’s time to become an AC translator and work hard to understand what your system is trying to tell you!
A Strange and Uncomfortable Odor
Odors are never a good sign, but they’re especially bad when they come from a complex system like an air conditioner. Normally, if your fridge smells bad or if your rug has a smelly stain, you can use conventional cleaning supplies to fix the problem. But with an AC, things get a little more complicated.
For instance, if you’re detecting a dirty-sock smell coming from your AC, this could be a problem with the condensate drain. As the air conditioner cycles through air, it reduces humidity naturally, which gets collected in a condensate pan. This pan needs to be drained out, but sometimes that drain can clog and mold can grow inside of it. When this happens, it taints the air that your AC cools with a foul odor.
The quickest and easiest way to have this problem solved is with professional support.
Short Cycling (or Long Cycling)
The cycling of your AC is another thing you should pay attention to. It should run in a cycle that’s 8-15 minutes in length.
If it’s running in short, frequent cycles that barely take a few minutes, then the system is short cycling which is a nasty problem to run into. There are many reasons why this might happen, so a professional diagnosis is required.
If the system is running endlessly without restarting, then it’s likely too small for your home and it can’t quite complete a cooling cycle. This is also a bad issue and might require replacement.
Trust the Wizard of Blizzard for your next AC repair. Schedule today with JC Mechanical!