In Salt Lake City and other places where summers are scorching, proper maintenance of heating and air conditioning systems is a must unless you want to end up having no AC in the middle of a hot summer day. Before the temperature starts to rise, here are the common summer HVAC problems that you need to be aware of:
1. Clogged drains
A drain line helps maintain the humidity inside your house by transferring the AC water outside. When your drain line becomes clogged with debris, algae, or mold, the water can flow back into your AC and potentially damage it.
You can spot a clogged AC drain line if there is water leaking around your unit. If you notice water accumulating around your AC, turn it off and call in a technician to fix the problem.
2. Leaking refrigerant
When the weather is hot, your AC is working harder to cool your house, and this can lead to a low supply of refrigerant in the AC. Low levels of refrigerant cannot complete the evaporation and condensation processes it needs to undergo to cool dehumidify the air, which then forces the compressor to convert the refrigerant back into a liquid.
The liquid refrigerant then becomes trapped in the coil, causing leakage. You can easily identify a refrigerant leak by looking for actual leakage inside the unit, especially when the temperature in your house constantly changes.
3. Excessive humidity
Does your house feel humid even with the AC on? If so, you might need to call in a technician to diagnose the problem. If there is no problem and your AC simply cannot handle the humidity, getting a dehumidifier is a good idea.
4. Poor indoor air quality
Indoor air quality becomes poor when there is too much dust, allergens, bacteria, and other contaminants present in the air. If your AC is poorly maintained, the accumulation of contaminants in your system (or in your vents, ductwork, air filters) can lead to poor indoor air quality, which can cause respiratory problems in the house’s occupants.
When you notice that there is more dust floating in the air or your family is sneezing and coughing despite the warm weather, check your AC system. If the issue is mild, you might just need to replace your air filters. But if that doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to have your air ducts cleaned by professionals.
5. High energy bills
A slightly higher energy bill in the summer can be quite normal, especially in areas where the heat is scathing. But if you see a significant spike in your energy bill that can’t be explained by anything else (e.g. a new appliance or device, increased hours of electronics use, etc.), your AC might be consuming more energy than necessary to cool your home. In that case, your AC system is likely experiencing internal issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible.
In the summer, your air conditioning system works harder to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. Therefore, when you spot any of these problems, it’s a good idea to call a technician to fix your AC before the issue worsens and causes more damage.
