Your air conditioner is a piece of equipment that you want to take care of. You need it to keep cool when the sweltering summers come along, and you want it to work well for as long as possible because it can be a few thousand dollars to replace it. But even with the best care, you’ll eventually come to a point when you have to get a new one. It can be difficult to tell, though. There are a lot of symptoms of a bad air conditioner, and some of them can simply be repaired. But if you’re having consistent problems that are causing costly repairs, it might just be time to get a new unit. These are some of the signs that you should watch out for to tell when you need a new air conditioner.
Strange Sounds
Air conditioners make a lot of sounds. In fact, even a brand-new one that’s in perfect condition is going to make some noises. But there are some sounds that are associated with the need for repair, and some of these sounds you really shouldn’t ignore if you want to keep your family safe and reduce the amount of damage that happens to your air conditioner.
For instance, one of the most common sounds that you might hear is a banging or clanking sound. These noises often indicate that there’s something wrong with your air conditioner because the parts aren’t put together correctly anymore. Over time, some parts can begin to wear away, causing them to clang up against each other. This is a sign that your air conditioner is old, but the clanging could even cause more damage, so you might have to replace your air conditioner depending on how severe the corrosion or erosion is.
Another common sound that you might notice is a clicking noise, which could indicate that you have an electrical problem or something wrong with the thermostat. If you notice this sound just at the beginning or end of the cooling cycle, it’s most likely fine. But if the clicking sound is throughout the entire cooling cycle and a spark accompanies it, you should turn the air conditioner off immediately to avoid a fire hazard. Some other possible reasons that you might hear a clicking sound is that a fan is brushing against a part or something is beginning to wear away, causing sounds.
You might also notice a squealing sound if there’s a blower motor that’s going out, or you might hear a buzzing or humming sound that could indicate that there’s something wrong with some of the electrical. Again, if you have any reason to think that there might be something wrong with an electrical component, turn your air conditioner off and contact an experienced air conditioning technician immediately.
Strange Smells
Whenever you smell something that’s off, you should question what’s making the smell and if it could be dangerous. There are a couple of reasons you might smell something strange. For instance, you might experience an off odor if there’s moisture draining somewhere. The air conditioner pulls humidity from the air, and it then sends it to a drain or the outside of the house to get rid of it. If the water is spilling somewhere else in the house, you might begin to smell something musty.
Another smell that you might notice is a burning scent. This could be indicative of an electrical issue. If you ever smell something burnt, you should turn off the air conditioner and call an experienced air conditioning technician right away so that you can avoid a potential electrical fire.
Rising Electric Bills
If you’ve been noticing that your electrical bills have been increasing month after month but drop off once the weather cools off, there’s a good chance that your air conditioner is less efficient than it was before. This is sometimes a signal that it’s a good time to buy a new air conditioner, especially if you know that you’ll save a lot of money on your utility bills by doing so. If you notice that your electric bills are rising, there are a number of things that could be causing it. One of the most common reasons that air conditioners lose efficiency relates directly back to old age. Air conditioners that are older are more likely to have certain parts that are becoming loose. You might also have a failing motor or one that just needs to be cleaned.
The Air Conditioner Isn’t Pulling All the Moisture Out of the Air
If it’s really humid in your house even after you’ve run the air conditioner and the air feels cool, you might need to replace your air conditioner. One of the most likely culprits of cooled air that’s still humid is an air conditioner that was too big for the house. When an overlarge air conditioner is installed in a house, the air conditioner is able to cool the house down very quickly, which sounds like a good thing. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence is that the air conditioner doesn’t have time to pull all of the moisture out of the house, leaving it feeling cool but clammy, which is a feeling that most people don’t like.
Moisture Leaks
If you notice moisture around the inside unit, there are a couple of things that it could be. You might have moisture from the drain line, or you might have a Freon leak. If it’s a Freon leak, this could be very hazardous to the health of you and your family, so you need someone to take care of it right away.
Low Airflow or Warm Air From the Registers
If the quality of air that you’re getting from the registers is warm or just not very much, there could be a number of things wrong with the air conditioner. First of all, you could have a problem with one of the blowers on your air conditioner if you’re not getting as much energy through as you would like. Another possibility is that there’s a problem with the Freon levels if you’re getting warm air through the registers. Either option could mean that you need to replace your air conditioner.
Problems Are Occurring More Frequently
If you’ve been having problems with your air conditioner more frequently, you should ask the technician the next time they come out if they think it’s time for a new model. If your air conditioner is breaking frequently, you might be entering the time when it makes more financial sense to buy a new air conditioner rather than getting your current one repaired.
Your Air Conditioner Is Old
In the Las Vegas area, air conditioners can last longer than they can in places where it’s extremely hot all year round. But if your air conditioner is approaching 15 or 20 years, your system might just be getting old.
When you need someone to fix or replace your air conditioner, call Polar Air & Heating, Inc. in Las Vegas, NV. Our technicians are excited to learn more about how we can help you. We also offer a wide array of heating services.
