We aren’t asking you to show pity for your air conditioner: it is, after all, a piece of machinery. It doesn’t have feelings. But when your air conditioner has an awful time, it can mean an awful time for you as well. It’s important for us to let you know how much September can turn into a dreadful time for your central air conditioning system.
Why September Is a Rough Month for an AC
What is it about September that’s so difficult for an air conditioner? Two things:
- September is often one of the hottest months of the year. It’s still technically summer (for the first three weeks, anyway) and the heat of August carries over through most of the month. An AC rarely gets a break after Labor Day.
- The air conditioner has already done an enormous amount of work during the middle of the year, starting in June. The stress and dirt built up in the unit can finally catch up with it during September.
What to Watch For
Perhaps more than any other time of the year, September is when to pay attention to indications your AC is struggling with its job. The maintenance you had done in spring (you did remember to do that, right?) may no longer be able to protect the system, so when you notice any of the following, call us for HVAC services in Staten Island, NY:
- Uneven cooling: When an air conditioner starts to lose its cooling ability, one of the earliest warnings is poor distribution of cooling around the house. The more distant rooms along the branches of the ductwork receive less cool air. If you notice “hot spots” in the house or hear complaints from family members about how warm their rooms are, check into the air conditioner to see if something is wrong.
- Odd noises: One of the best “early warning systems” an air conditioner has is strange sounds. Grinding, shrieking, clicking, and hissing are all noises you don’t want to hear coming from the AC cabinet. A licensed technician can diagnose what’s making the noise and get to the bottom of the problem.
- Short cycling: This is when the AC’s compressor turns on and off every ten minutes or less. A full cooling cycle lasts for approximately 15 minutes, so if the compressor is shutting down sooner than that (and then turning back on), there’s trouble. This may be the fault of dirty motors, a clogged air filter, failing capacitors, or refrigerant leaks—all problems that can strike in September.
Avoid the Temptation to “Let It Go”
Here’s where the advice from a Disney song isn’t advice you want to follow. Just because cooler weather is around the corner doesn’t mean you can procrastinate fixing an AC problem. You never want your air conditioner to run with a malfunction, no matter if the malfunction is causing an outward drop in performance or not. You’ll save money, lower the chance of a system breakdown, and help the air conditioner enjoy a longer lifespan if you call us promptly to repair the unit.
