Although we experience some wet and cold days during the winters in North Central Florida, we also still have hot days. Air conditioners are expected to work throughout the year around here. That means you need to make sure your home’s AC is prepared to get through each season. The biggest concern is summer, which is why we stress having professional maintenance done in the spring, right before the period when the AC will run the most.
It’s fall now, and you won’t be arranging for professional maintenance for the cooling system (unless you didn’t have it done during spring, in which case, better late than never). But we recommend you take a few steps to check on the air conditioner to make sure no problems are developing and that it’s set to handle any warm days ahead. If you do need air conditioning repair in Gainesville, FL, call us and we’ll be there to take care of it.
Time to Inspect the Outdoor Cabinet
Along with changing the air filter in the HVAC indoor cabinet, we advise you take some time to look over the outside cabinet of the air conditioning system. This cabinet contains the compressor, a fan, and the condenser coil that releases heat to the outside.
The cabinet needs clearance on all sides so it can vent out heat using the fan. See if any branches, leaves, grass clippings, or debris have gotten in the way. Are there any plants that have started to grow too near to it? Trim them back. You want about a foot of space clear all around the cabinet so it will work at maximum efficiency.
If the cabinet is covered with dust and dirt (or worst of all, mulch), wash it off. Use a hose on low pressure—don’t blast the hose into the grills, since this might cause damage to the fins of the condenser coils.
If you notice a rattling coming from the cabinet while the AC is running, the cabinet may be loose. Check the fasteners to see if they are loose and tighten them. If this doesn’t stop the sound, something else may be wrong inside the cabinet and you’ll need to call for repair assistance.
If the sound you hear from the cabinet is a clicking or clanging noise, the issue may be with the fan blades. Visually inspect them to see if any of the blades are bent. Call a technician if they are.
Search around the wire connections from the cabinet for signs of scorch marks. If you do see burn marks, turn off the power to the cabinet through the breaker box and call right away from assistance. Don’t run the AC until a technician has found the problem and fixed it.
AC Repair Is Smart Any Time of the Year
In Florida, there’s no season for air conditioning repair! Your AC is never going to have a long vacation, so as soon as you detect anything wrong with it, such as the signs listed above, call our HVAC experts. We offer 24-hour service 365 days a year!