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3 Problems Your Air Conditioner Might Have During The Hottest Days Toward The End Of Summer

26 August 2020

Abbie Wade

As summer wears on and the temperatures get hotter, your AC may strain to keep your home cool. This could lead to the need for repairs before the summer is over. Here are three problems your air conditioner may encounter toward the end of summer.

1. Blocked Condenser Fins

If you mow near the air conditioner condenser, grass clippings could blow against the fins on the outside of the cage and collect there over the summer. If enough clippings build up on the fins, airflow is blocked, and that affects the performance of your AC.

The fins are on the outside of the condenser coils, and they allow for air circulation from the outside and from the inside when the fan blows across the coils to cool them down. Blocked fins could cause your AC to become inefficient, or worse, they could put strain on other parts and cause your AC to break down.

You can clean the fins yourself as long as you take care not to bend them, but if the air blockage has caused damage to internal parts of the AC, call an air conditioning repair service to find the damaged parts and replace them.

2. Algae Growth In The Condensation Line

Your air conditioner creates condensation when it runs. This is a normal byproduct of warm air from your house passing over the cold evaporator coils. When condensation forms, it drips in a pan and drains away.

When your AC runs a lot on long, hot days, your AC may produce more condensation than normal. Over time, this might cause algae to grow in the drain pan. If algae gets inside the drain line, it might form a clog.

A clog could cause the pan to overflow and get the area around your AC wet, and that could lead to mold growth. The water backup may also shut your AC down. An AC service can clear the clog out of the drain and make any other repairs necessary.

3. A Burned-Out Capacitor

The capacitor in the condenser outside could need to be replaced before the rest of your air conditioner. The capacitor is similar to a battery in that it holds a charge that's used to help the fan motor start up.

Capacitors often fail during the hottest part of the summer when the capacitor has to work harder. When it fails, the motor is put under strain since the motor has to work harder to start up. This could lead to more damage to parts in the condenser.

If your air conditioner shows signs of trouble when it's exceptionally hot outside, you may want to suspect the capacitor and call an air conditioning repair service to check it and replace it if needed.

To learn more, contact an air conditioning repair company.

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