How Air Conditioning Services Pros Can Help When Your Central Air System Doesn't Cool Your Home

An air conditioner that doesn't actually cool the air in your home is next to useless. Find out what can cause this lack of cooling from your central air conditioning unit and how an air conditioning repair service can help.

Air conditioners are one of the best inventions of the modern age. Gone are the days of trying to stay cool with open windows and box fans. Now, we have the luxury of turning a dial or pressing a button to enjoy deliciously cool air even in the heat of summer--at least until something goes awry with the air unit. When your central air system stops working, it can feel like your whole world grinds to a halt. Find out what's at fault when your central air system stops cooling and when you need to call your local air conditioning contractors to get things back on track.

There are several reasons why your central AC unit might not be cooling as it should. The airflow to the exterior condenser unit could be blocked, which means you need to clear all debris, such as tall grass or collected leaves, from the area. The condenser could also be dirty, which means you need to remove the condenser cover and clean the coils and condenser fins, or call a pro to do it for you. The evaporator coil, located inside by the main duct junction with the furnace, could also be dirty, which means you (or a pro) need to clean it. These are all tasks that you can handle on your own if you feel like you have the time and know-how to tackle them. If, however, none of these is the culprit, then you definitely need to call an air conditioner repair expert to find out what the problem is.

If you've ruled out dirt or blockages as the cause for your cooling problems, it could be that the refrigerant is low. The refrigerant is the coolant--usually Freon--that actually cools the air that's cycled through the system. If there's a problem with the refrigerant, this could be caused by a leak, or it could be that the correct amount of refrigerant was not added when your unit was installed. Either way, a professional air conditioning contractor needs to handle any refrigerant issues, as refrigerants are strictly regulated by the EPA.

If your refrigerant situation is fine, the culprit of your cooling problem could be a faulty compressor. The compressor is the part of the AC system that regulates the pressure between the evaporator coil and condenser coil so the cooling process can take place. If the compressor is on the fritz, due to either a mechanical or electrical failure, the whole system simply won't work. Again, an appliance repair pro needs to be called to handle any issues with the compressor.

Air conditioners are wonderful when they work well. However, when your AC unit isn't cooling things down as it should be, you may need to call a pro for expert air conditioning service.