Gone are the days when people used to see air conditioners as a luxury. Today, no matter how much it costs, homeowners and business owners are investing in this expensive piece of appliance because they need it for their comfort and for their business.

For homeowners, having air conditioners installed helps them sleep comfortably at night especially during the summer. For business owners, studies have found that employees work better and are more productive when their working environment is cool and comfortable. Furthermore, customers are more attracted to business establishments that are fully air-conditioned compared to those that aren’t.

Since air conditioners play a very important role in our day-to-day lives, it is important that we make sure it stays in good condition. As owners, it is your responsibility to partner with a dependable air conditioning and electrical company in your area to clean and service your air conditioner on a regular basis. You see, air conditioners also need TLC. If it is not properly maintained, it could get damaged beyond repair compelling you to purchase a new unit.

Maintaining your air conditioner is essential to prolong its shelf life. Below are some of the most common air conditioning problems many of us face. Being familiar with these problems is important so you can avoid them and so that you’ll realise how important maintenance is.

Air Conditioner Problems

• Filter – one of the main causes why your air conditioner is no longer working efficiently is because of a dirty air filter. Ideally, air filters need to be changed. In order to know how often this is done, we suggest you take a look at your manual. There are certain air conditioner models that require monthly changing while others are every three months.

There are also air conditioning units that have reusable filters that only need to be cleaned. How do you know if it already needs cleaning? In most cases, homeowners try to check if light can pass through the filter and if it doesn’t then it means it needs cleaning. The reason is that dirt and dust can impede the airflow of your AC unit causing it to freeze.

• Refrigerant leaks – when your coolant is leaking, you can bet your air conditioner will no longer function efficiently. You will also start to notice that the temperature will change. The cost of the repairs will vary depending on the location of the leak. This is why it is very important to have your air conditioner check and inspected by professional air conditioning technicians every year.

• Drainage – dust, debris, and dirt can also clog up your drainage line. If this isn’t cleaned properly, the drain pan could overflow and water will leak out of it causing damage to your air conditioner.

• Fuses or Breakers – fuses and breakers are responsible for protecting your air conditioner unit’s compressor or motor from overheating. When your air conditioner doesn’t work anymore, your technician will check on the breaker first.

• Compressor – if your compressor is damaged, your air conditioner will not work, meaning it will not be able to cool your space. If the refrigerant is lacking, the compressor will overheat and eventually it will stop working.

• Evaporator Coils – the function of the evaporator coils in your air conditioner is to absorb the heat from the room and send it back as cold air via air ducts. Maintenance for these coils is necessary at least once every three years to avoid corrosion.

• Condenser Coils – the condenser coils of your air conditioner are found right outside the compressor and because of its location, it is prone to get dirty. You can easily clean it using a water hose at least once every twelve months or you can have the option to hire professional air conditioning cleaning experts since they have a special chemical cleaner made especially for air conditioners.

Air conditioners are complicated machines that require regular cleaning and maintenance. If we fail to follow the recommended maintenance service it needs, it could break down any time and mind you, repairs are very costly. In fact, there are certain air conditioner problems that are so severe they cannot be repaired and the only solution is to have it replaced. You can save a lot of money if you follow the suggested schedule of your unit’s maintenance.