Bob Mims Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Posts Tagged ‘air conditioning system repair’

Ways the AC Compressor Might Fail

Monday, June 3rd, 2019

compressor-in-ac-unitThere’s no such thing as a “non-vital” part of your central air conditioning system. All parts need to work well for the system to operate effectively and efficiently. But if any part were to be awarded the title “The Most Important AC Component,” it would be the compressor. It’s the literal heart of the air conditioner because it is what causes the refrigerant to circulate through the system. The compressor changes the refrigerant to a high-pressure hot gas that allows for the heat exchange process to start. Without a working compressor, an air conditioning system will function as nothing more than a large fan blowing around room temperature air.

The compressor usually lasts for the full life of the AC. In fact, it’s often a dead compressor that signals the end of the air conditioner’s lifecycle (around 10 to 15 years). However, a compressor might fail early—and usually it’s not worth the cost to fix it.

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Should You Talk to Your Maintenance Tech About Getting a New AC?

Monday, March 25th, 2019

air-conditioning-recyclingIn our last post, we put up a friendly spring reminder: have your air conditioning system professionally maintained! There’s nothing better for a hard-working central AC than to have an annual inspection and tune-up. It means better performance, fewer repairs, energy-efficient operation, and a long system life.

But let’s talk about that last advantage a bit more: how long can an air conditioner keep working? Maintenance extends its service life, but no level of diligence can make an AC work forever. Your home’s current air conditioner will eventually need to be replaced. Is this something you should discuss with your HVAC technician during maintenance?

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Taking Good Care of an Old AC: Some Tips

Monday, September 24th, 2018
old-air-conditioner

This one might be TOO old

We’re tempted to make this blog post a single sentence long: “The best way to take care of an old AC is to replace it with a new one.” Done. Bob Mims out.

But that’s not quite fair to “old” air conditioning systems—and what do we really mean by old, anyway? We don’t want you to replace your home’s cooling system years before you should. There are still Staten Island, NY, AC repair jobs to help keep an older air conditioner working for a few more years before replacing it. The tricky part is to know when it’s no longer worth the cost to keep repairing the air conditioner and instead replace it.

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September Can Be an Awful Time for an Air Conditioner

Monday, September 10th, 2018

autumn-backgroundWe 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.

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AC Tripping the Circuit Breaker? Let’s See What’s Up

Monday, July 2nd, 2018

electrical-panel-repairsYou’ve probably had the experience of plugging in a new appliance or turning on a powerful one and suddenly losing power. That’s the circuit breaker box doing its job: protecting the electrical system from a harmful voltage overload. Fixing a tripped breaker is easy, you only have to reset it. But a tripped breaker is something to pay attention to since it often means something is wrong with the appliance (or the home needs a wiring upgrade).

Has this tripped breaker problem affected your air conditioning system? The compressor tries to come on, but instead the power to the AC shuts off—and you have to reset the breaker to get the cooling system working again. If this happens once, it may not be a serious problem. Voltage overloads can sometimes occur. But if your air conditioner is tripping the breaker repeatedly, it means the system is overheating and causing the motors to put too much electrical demand on the system.

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Leaking Refrigerant May Destroy Your AC!

Monday, June 4th, 2018

terrified-woman-thinks-of-destroyed-air-conditionerMany types of malfunctions can cause your home’s air conditioning system to fail or stop working altogether. A fan motor burns out, and that means no air circulating through the house. Bad wiring to the thermostat means you can’t turn the AC on. But there are some malfunctions that can mean the end of your air conditioner—the point where the only repairs that may fix it will cost more than the price of getting a new AC.

One of the big air conditioning-ending disasters you may run over summer is leaking refrigerant.

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Surprising Reasons Cooling Systems Fail Prematurely

Monday, May 7th, 2018

thermometer-going-redWhen you read that title, you probably expected to see a list of funny pictures of animals jammed inside air conditioners, or a picture of a truck that accidentally skipped over the curb and crashed through an outdoor condenser unit. Yes, weird things can happen that will cause an air conditioner to fail. You could probably think up some bizarre situations on your won.

But what this post is about is a bit more useful: when we say surprising reasons, we mean surprising to homeowners who aren’t familiar with HVAC equipment. But these problems aren’t surprising to HVAC technicians like us. We see them often. People are rarely aware of what can cause an AC system failure—and it can sneak up on them. So here are few of those surprises you don’t want to run into.

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Time to Think About Air Conditioning Maintenance

Monday, March 12th, 2018

servince-reminder-clockIt’s March and spring will soon be sprung upon us. In the world of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, this means it’s time for AC maintenance for customers.

Maintenance requires a professional HVAC contractor in Staten Island, NY. This isn’t a job you can handle with a checklist printed up from an do-it-yourself site. It requires experience, training, and special tools.

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Short-Cycling Air Conditioner: What It Is, Why It’s Bad

Monday, August 28th, 2017

air-conditioner-units-near-grassAmong the more common malfunctions that can occur with a residential air conditioning system is something called ­short-cycling. The brief definition of short-cycling is that it’s when the compressor of an air conditioner turns on and off rapidly—too rapidly to do much good and too rapidly for the good of the air conditioner.

We’re going to delve deeper into this common repair situation so you’ll have a better idea of when to call us for air conditioning service in Staten Island, NY.

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Keep a Watch for These Early Season AC Repair Warnings

Monday, June 19th, 2017

tools-on-ac-unitAs the summer weather gets going here in New York City, you’ll begin to use your air conditioner for steady periods for the first time in the year. If you’ve arranged for its spring maintenance already, the system will be off to the best possible start. (However, it’s never too late to contact us about our maintenance agreement so you can have the AC tuned-up and inspected.)

But there’s no magical service that can make an AC immune to problems. If there were, believe me, we’d offer it! Maintenance is as close as it comes. During these opening summer weather days, it pays to attend closely to how your air conditioner is operating. This way you can catch any early troubles and have them fixed before the temperatures soar in July and August. Our AC repair experts are ready to help you!

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