3 Ways To Prevent Your AC Unit From Overheating
The last thing that you want in the middle of a scorching hot summer is for your AC to overheat and shut down completely. Unfortunately, if you aren't taking the proper care of your AC unit, then it will be prone to overheating. In order to ensure that your AC unit doesn't overheat this summer, you should know ways to prevent it from happening.
Change Your Air Filter
One of the most common reasons that your air conditioner will overheat is due to a dirty air filter or blocked air filter. This will occur if you don't change your air filter out often enough. A dirty air filter will block proper air flow in and out of the unit. This means that your air conditioner is going to have to work harder to keep you cool, which will eventually result in it overheating. During the summer months you should change your air filter at least once a month to keep your AC running at the optimal level.
Refill Your Refrigerant
Low refrigerant will not be a problem for every air conditioning system, but you should have an experienced HVAC technician come out and check your refrigerant levels before summer starts to ensure that you have enough. If your refrigerant is low, your AC unit is going to be working harder to keep your home cool, which taxes the system and causes it to overheat. If you do have low refrigerant, it's a sign that there is a refrigerant leak somewhere. You should have the leak repaired and the refrigerant re-filled before you start to run your AC for the season.
Clean Your Coils
The condenser coils on your AC unit are filled with refrigerant and should be present both inside and outside of your AC unit. The refrigerant is pumped to the outside coils where they emit excess heat. If these coils are dirty, the heat cannot escape quickly and efficiently. This leads to your AC unit overheating. You can clean this coils yourself by purchasing specific AC unit coil cleaning spray. Simply spray the coils and wipe them down. If you aren't comfortable cleaning them yourself, you can call in a professional to do it for you.
If your AC does overheat and shut down, call in air conditioning services immediately. They will be able to tell you if the damage to the AC unit is reparable, or you need to get a new unit completely. Companies like Sullivan Super Service may be able to meet your needs in this area.