Before an air conditioning system breaks down completely, it usually gives some signs that it is struggling with the everyday demands of cooling your home. If you call an air conditioning repair service as soon as you notice your system behaving oddly, you could avoid a complete breakdown and a more costly repair bill. Here are several signs to look out for.
1. Short Cycling
Does your air conditioning system rapidly switch between actively cooling your home and shutting itself down? If your system always seems to be switching itself on or off, then you could be observing a behaviour known as short cycling.
Short cycling can indicate that your air conditioner is oversized for the size of your home. However, if this behaviour only started recently, then it's more likely to result from a fault in the system causing the main AC unit to overheat. The unit shuts itself down for safety reasons, but then soon starts up again as your home has not yet been cooled. This cycle of overheating and shutting down can be dangerous if the shutdown mechanism fails, so it is important to contact a repair service as soon as possible.
2. Unresponsive Thermostat
When you change the settings for your thermostat, does the air conditioning system leap into action to provide more cooling? If the amount of cooling that your system provides does not match the settings, then there may be a problem either with your thermostat or with the air conditioning unit itself. An air conditioning repair technician can test the system, let you know where the fault lies, and tell you what they need to do to fix it.
3. Soaring Utility Bills
It pays to pay attention to the amount of money that it costs to cool your home each summer. If your utility bills suddenly spike, then your air conditioning system may have developed a fault that causes it to be less efficient than usual. Call an air conditioning repair service soon so you do not end up paying the price of having a faulty and inefficient system over the long term.
4. Strange Noises
All air conditioning systems make some noise, but the sound you hear should be no more than the gentle sound of cooled air being blown around your home. When an air conditioning system suddenly starts banging, clanking, grinding, squealing, or making any other kind of unusual noise, you should contact a repair service.
