Why an Air Conditioning Breakdown Will Happen This Summer

I’m sorry. Really, I am. We don’t want it to, but it’s going to happen. That heating and cooling system you really haven’t thought about since moving into your home is just going to stop. So before it happens, we wanted to give you some of the reasons why an air conditioning breakdown happens, so you’ll be aware. Let’s talk about how your system may fail this spring.

Will my Air Conditioning Break Down This Summer?

1. The refrigerant line has developed a leak and the system can’t cool anymore.

It just happens sometimes. When the copper lines are connected to the air conditioner and coil, they are welded in with fittings. These joints that over time the cracks can develop, and under the pressure that your system operates refrigerant is lost. If it’s not at one of the joints, bad news, it might be in the coils – which unfortunately, is worse news.

2. The capacitor blows.

The motors on the air conditioning system each have capacitors that help transfer electrical current to those motors to get them started. During the summer, the compressor capacitor often times fails as a result of overheating, electrical overload, or other part failures causing a short in the wiring. We do have some tips for cleaning out your AC unit that might help!

3. The compressor fails.

Many times compressor failure will result from issues 1 or 2. When a refrigerant leak develops or a run capacitor fails, your compressor will continue to operate. However, it’s not operating in the optimal way. With a refrigerant leak, the system might be exposed to outside elements that can cause the refrigerant to change consistency, which can lead to overheating. Similarly if the compressor is receiving an oversupply of electrical current, the system can short out. A compressor failure is many times catastrophic for a system over 10 years. Less that 10 years and it might still be under warranty.

We run into these air conditioning breakdown issues most frequently. Want to avoid these scenarios? First, change your filter regularly. Second, call us out for a preventative maintenance on your a/c. And continue to read our blog for helpful tips throughout the summer to save on operating costs, and prevent issues with your system.

If you live in Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel or other surrounding cities near Indianapolis, make sure to give us a call if you have any issues with your AC as the weather warms up! We’re a locally owned company that prides ourselves on being different from most HVAC companies in Indianapolis that you may have dealt with in the past. We look forward to taking great care of you!