When summer settles into Brunswick County, your air conditioner does a lot of heavy lifting. Between the heat, humidity and long stretches of daily use, cooling systems in homes from Leland and Southport to Shallotte, Calabash and the Brunswick County beaches can run for hours at a time.
That extra workload can expose worn parts or small problems that may have gone unnoticed earlier in the year. If your AC isn’t working the way it should, here are five common summer AC repairs and the symptoms that may point you toward the problem.
1. When Your AC Won’t Start: A Capacitor May Be the Culprit
You lower the thermostat and wait for the cool air to kick in. Instead, nothing happens. Maybe you hear a click or humming sound from the outdoor unit, but the fan isn’t spinning.
One possible cause is a failed AC capacitor.
A capacitor is a small electrical component that provides the energy needed to start and operate parts of your air conditioning system, including the compressor and fan motors. When it begins to fail, the system may have trouble starting, shut off unexpectedly or hum without fully turning on. Trane lists humming, trouble starting and a lack of cold air among common signs of a faulty capacitor.
Because capacitors store an electrical charge, this is not a repair homeowners should attempt themselves. If you’ve checked your thermostat and your AC still won’t start normally, it’s time to have the system inspected.
2. Warm Air From the Vents? Refrigerant Could Be the Issue
Few AC problems are as frustrating as feeling warm or barely cool air coming from the vents on a hot afternoon.
You may also notice that the AC seems to run constantly without bringing the house down to the temperature set on the thermostat. In some cases, ice may begin forming on refrigerant lines or around the indoor coil.
There can be several reasons an air conditioner isn’t cooling properly, but low refrigerant is one possibility. Trane identifies low or leaking refrigerant as one of the issues that can cause an AC to stop cooling effectively.
One important thing to know is that refrigerant isn’t something your AC should normally “use up.” If refrigerant levels are low, an HVAC technician needs to determine why and address the underlying problem.
3. Water Around Your AC Unit Could Point to a Clogged Drain
Finding water around your indoor AC equipment can be alarming, especially when you aren’t sure where it’s coming from.
In Brunswick County’s humid summer weather, your air conditioner isn’t just cooling your home. It’s also pulling moisture from the indoor air. That moisture becomes condensation and is carried away through the system’s drain line.
Over time, algae, dirt and other buildup can clog that drain. When the water has nowhere to go, it may back up into the drain pan or leak around the unit. Carrier notes that a clogged condensate drain is one of the most common reasons an AC may leak water.
Some systems also have safety switches designed to shut the AC off when water begins backing up. So if your AC suddenly stops working and you notice water near the indoor unit, the two problems may be connected.
Cleaning and inspecting drain pans and lines is also one of the reasons routine HVAC maintenance can be especially helpful during our humid coastal summers. Carolina Comfort Air’s maintenance service includes cleaning evaporator coils, drain pans and drain lines.
4. Weak Airflow or a Stalled Fan Can Signal a Motor Problem
Sometimes your AC is technically running, but something still doesn’t feel right.
Maybe there’s cool air at the vents, but hardly any of it. Or you walk outside and notice the outdoor unit is making noise while the fan on top isn’t spinning.
Your cooling system relies on fans to move air through different parts of the system. The indoor blower moves conditioned air through your home, while the outdoor condenser fan helps the system release heat outside. Problems with either can hurt cooling performance.
A failing blower motor may cause weak or inconsistent airflow inside the house. A problem with the outdoor fan motor can cause the condenser to struggle or overheat. Bad capacitors and other electrical issues can create similar symptoms, which is why diagnosing the exact cause is important. Carrier and Trane both identify fan motors, capacitors and electrical components as possible causes when an AC fan stops working properly.
If you’re dealing with poor airflow, hot and cold spots or a fan that isn’t running, Carolina Comfort Air provides AC repair throughout Brunswick County, including communities throughout both North and South Brunswick County.
5. Ice on Your AC Is a Sign Something Isn’t Working Right
It may seem strange that an air conditioner can literally freeze up during the hottest part of summer, but it happens.
You might notice ice on the refrigerant line, frost around the indoor equipment or an AC that runs but isn’t putting out much cold air.
A frozen evaporator coil is usually a sign of another problem rather than the problem itself. Restricted airflow from a dirty filter, blower issues, dirty coils or low refrigerant can all contribute to freezing. Trane specifically lists clogged filters, low refrigerant and frozen or dirty coils among common reasons an AC may fail to cool a home properly.
If you see ice, simply letting the system thaw may get rid of the visible symptom, but it doesn’t necessarily fix what caused the coil to freeze in the first place.
Why Summer Maintenance Matters in Brunswick County
Not every breakdown can be prevented, but regular maintenance gives an HVAC technician an opportunity to catch wear, drainage problems, dirty components and other issues before they turn into a no-AC afternoon.
That’s especially valuable for homeowners throughout Brunswick County, where cooling systems spend months dealing with heat, humidity and frequent use.
During professional maintenance, technicians can inspect electrical components, check system operation, clean coils and drain lines, and look for signs that something isn’t performing as it should. Carolina Comfort Air recommends regular preventative maintenance to help maintain system performance and reduce the chance of unexpected breakdowns.
Catch Small AC Problems Before They Become Big Repairs
Your air conditioner doesn’t have to completely stop working before it tells you something is wrong. Warm air, weak airflow, unusual humming, water around the unit or ice on the system can all be early signs that your cooling system needs attention.
Carolina Comfort Air provides HVAC service and maintenance for homeowners throughout Brunswick County, including Leland, Shallotte, Southport, Calabash, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach and surrounding communities.
Don’t wait for a small issue to turn into a breakdown during the next stretch of summer heat. Call Carolina Comfort Air today to schedule your AC maintenance and help keep your cooling system running comfortably through the rest of the season.
