Your air conditioner lives to cool your home. But sadly, it might overwork itself to the point that it overheats and needs to be reset.
Resetting an air conditioner isn’t a big deal, but you can’t just ignore the fact that your air conditioner overheated. Sure, overheating is much more common on very hot days in the summer, but air conditioners are designed to withstand that kind of heat.
If your air conditioner overheats—or continues to overheat—then it’s most likely time for air conditioning repair in New Braunfels, TX. A likely cause for the overheating could be due to:
Too Much Dirt
Air conditioners and dirt do not mix. Yet, dust is always getting into the air vents and the sensitive components of the machine. There are a few components, in particular, that can cause trouble if left too dirty for too long.
Dirty Air Filter
The air filter’s job is to prevent all that dust and dirt from getting into the system. Of course, it can only do that properly if you remember to change it, too. If not, it can lead to overheating.
It’s incredibly easy to forget about the air filter, so we suggest setting a reminder on your phone or on your calendar to have it checked between every one or three months. You can ask an HVAC technician to help determine the exact number.
Dirty Fan Blades
Dirt and dust can sometimes make it into the fan blades of the blowers. As their name suggests, the job of these components is to blow air through the system. Too much dirt on the fans can add weight, cause it to spin off balance, and reduce airflow, leading to overheating.
Dirty Condenser Coil
The condenser coil is a set of tubes that resides in the outdoor unit. The outdoors is synonymous with dust and dirt, so don’t be surprised to find it in need of a cleaning every now and then. The coil’s job is to release heat, so too much dust on it can act as an insulator and create an overheating problem.
Low Refrigerant
Refrigerant is the lifeblood of your air conditioner. Without enough, it’s not going to perform like it’s supposed to, leading to inefficiencies and damage to the compressor. It can also lead to overheating just as easily.
There’s really only two reasons for low refrigerant:
- The refrigerant lines have sprung a leak. This needs to be fixed before more refrigerant can be charged back into the system.
- The AC was never charged properly in the first place, so it never had the required refrigerant to begin with.
Old Air Conditioner
If none of those reasons apply, then it might simply be time for a new air conditioner. Old air conditioners can exhibit a slew of problems, including overheating. Air conditioners can start showing signs of age at about 10 years old, at which point it can be more cost effective to replace it.
But don’t go rushing to get a replacement without a thorough inspection. You can have it checked by an expert to be sure that the issue is related to age rather than something else.
Contact Thayer Air Conditioning today to schedule a maintenance check. Your comfort is our #1 priority!
