preparing your air conditioning unit for summer use

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preparing your air conditioning unit for summer use

Now that the weather is finally getting warm, you are preparing or have already switched your central air conditioning on. Did your unit fill your home with awful odors? Did it make funny noises when it turned on? Is it not working as well as it did last year? There are many things that can happen to your air conditioning unit over the winter months. If you don't prepare the system for use before you use it, you can cause damage and shorten the lifespan of the unit. This blog will show you what needs to be done to get your system ready for this summer.

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Troubleshooting A Loud Air Conditioner

28 June 2017
 Categories: , Blog

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Air conditioners work hard to cool spaces, but due to the many moving parts within the system can create a lot of noise as they move air. However, some types of noise, especially if they happen in excessive amounts, can point to small problems with the operation of your air conditioner itself. Troubleshooting a loud air conditioner can help you fix these problems before they cause any serious damage to your unit while also decreasing the overall amount of noise that it generates while in operation.

Rattling

If you notice that a rattling sound is coming from your exterior condenser unit, odds are that debris has fallen through the grate and into the condenser fins. You can fix this fairly easily by simply unscrewing the grate using a screwdriver and removing the sticks and other pieces that have gotten stuck by hand. Alternatively, if there is no debris within the unit, the issue could be with the motor of the condenser itself, which can begin to loosen and rattle with age and wear. In this case, you should contact a professional to take a look at your air conditioner.

Grinding

A grinding noise will usually come from your central air conditioner's interior unit and will point to some sort of damage to the fan belt or motor, causing excessive friction as the fan turns. Sometimes, this grinding can take on a high pitched squealing sound if left unchecked for too long. As soon as you notice any sort of grinding sound coming from your air conditioner, you should turn the unit off immediately to prevent any significant damage from occurring, and contact a professional to take a look at your fans to diagnose the problem.

Hissing and Popping

Another common sound that comes from your air conditioner is a hissing and popping sound. Most commonly, this can be attributed to some sort of damage to the integrity of your ductwork. The hissing sound will be air escaping out of a narrow gap, whereas the popping occurs when air flow cuts in and out of that gap. When this occurs, it's usually a good indication that your ductwork is beginning to age and needs to either be repaired or replaced. Thankfully, this does not point to an issue with your air conditioner itself, and is a much simpler and less expensive problem to have fixed by an HVAC professional from a company like Day's Appliance Repair Heatg & Air Condtng Co.