When you’re enjoying a cool, comfortable living or working space on a hot Colorado summer day, who doesn’t? – it can be a little worrying when your air conditioner isn’t working properly. For example, the system turns on but produces little or no cooling. Or you just don’t get any response from the outdoor AC unit.
While it’s true that you need a trained HVAC technician to diagnose and fix most AC problems, it can be helpful to know what the various symptoms indicate. At the very least, this knowledge can make you feel more empowered to discuss the situation with the technician. And in some cases there are problems that you can handle without help.
Learn more about common AC symptoms, their causes, and solutions below.
Insights into AC problems
Six of the most common indicators of an AC problem are:
1. There is little/no cooling. One cause of little or no cooling is a lack of power to the furnace (inside your home or business) or condensing unit (outside). This goes without saying, of course, but confirming that these system components have power is an excellent first step.
Another cause of an air conditioner producing little, if any, cooling is a problem with the thermostat. Something as simple as dead or weak batteries in a device that requires them can cause the thermostat to run intermittently or not at all. But the solution is also simple: try replacing the battery.
2. A buzzing/hissing sound comes from the outdoor unit. This often indicates a frozen suction line (ie large refrigerant line). Changing the air filter and running the unit in “fan only” mode can help defrost the coil, although the problem may recur and require a technician visit.
3. The outdoor unit stops abruptly. In Colorado’s dry climate, debris, “cotton” from trees, etc. are thrown up by winds and can clog the outdoor coil of an AC system. In this case, the system can “trigger” due to the high “head pressure”. If you feel comfortable, close the…
