When is it an Air Conditioning Repair Emergency?

Air conditioners are a way of life for many people who live in warmer climates and it can be hard to image life without the comfort level that they bring with just the flick of a switch. But like all good things your air conditioning unit may occasionally develop problems that make it run poorly or stop running completely. The trick is to know what problems are a true emergency and what problems can wait.

In order to understand what constitutes a true HVAC emergency and what doesn't start by looking at the most common problems that you will likely encounter with your ac unit, so you can better triage the call to your HVAC tech. The top problems you will encounter include your AC unit freezing up, leaking water, or running loudly.

And although these issues may be annoying they don't all require an emergency air conditioning repair.

The most common reason you will find your ac unit literally frozen is because of ice on the condenser coils. Frozen coils can create a bottleneck effect by preventing the Freon and air from circulating the way that they should and your unit fails to expel cool air properly. The root cause of this problem is generally found with your unit not circulating quickly enough or it is circulating at an ineffective rate. A simple calibration check can solve your frozen coil problem and get your ac unit running properly again. This is not considered an emergency air conditioning repair by most HVAC techs because frozen coils won't damage the unit and ultimately the frozen coils and ice will defrost on their own with some down time.

Leaking water on the other hand can be an air conditioning repair emergency since water leaks inside your home create the potential for mold growth and water damage.

There are several things that can cause water leakage including a rusted out condenser pan or a blockage in the drainage tubes sending water out of the unit and onto your floor. Your tech will go through your unit with a check list of likely problems and work their way down to the more complex problems that can be making your unit leak.

A unit that runs loudly or emits annoying noises can have several root causes depending on whether or not it is the indoor unit or outdoor component of the unit that is making the noise. Noises can be caused by almost anything from a blockage to a loose screw inside the unit and it will generally require a house call to fix. While this may not constitute a true emergency it does fall on the line of one and if you feel your unit is making enough of a ruckus to stop using it, you may want to triage your unit into the emergency lane for repairs.

Hopefully the insight into your most common problems will help you make the correct call and get your ac up and running again.