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Lots of people have been stuck in the same terrible situation: the hottest days of the summer and a broken air conditioning unit. It seems like one of the most common cruel jokes that life can play on the modern world, but it's probably not coincidence.
There are a lot of technical issues and human-made problems that happen when the demand for cool air is at its highest. If you're tired of dealing with the worst technical problems during the worst parts of the summer, here are a few air conditioning failure and troubleshooting details to get your system working again--and to avoid the same problems next year.
Ice Blocks And Poor Performance
One mistake that many people make is cranking up the AC as cold as possible on the hottest days. There's no real reason to do this, but the overreaction is understandable; if it's really hot, some people want the cold to be as extreme as possible.
Although some older air conditioning unit models may reach cooler temperatures faster when lower temperatures are set, modern systems have precision cooling that is mostly uniform. Only on the cheaper units do you need to set the temperature a degree or two lower than intended, and that's only if the room temperature reader isn't picking up temperatures properly.
When your air conditioning unit is working overtime, condensation builds up. The air around the AC can collect against parts of the system that are extremely cold and begin to freeze. This freezing is slow and not much of a problem on its own, but it can lead to dirt buildup as debris sticks to the liquid and ice.
Dirty Evaporator Coil
A more common ice block risk comes from the evaporator coil. A dirty evaporator coil can cause cooled, liquid refrigerant to drip against the coil. When this liquid touches the coil material, it quickly becomes ice and becomes a bigger target for more refrigerant.
If you notice weaker or inconsistent cooling from your air conditioning unit, turn it off immediately. It needs to be cleaned, and the ice needs to be thawed. In extreme situations where a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professional can't get to your location and heat is a health risk, simply let the unit thaw enough to get rid of much of the ice and set the air conditioning unit to something in the 70's Fahrenheit or between 21 and 26 degrees Celsius.
Whether you need immediate service or want to be prepared before cooling troubles strike, contact an air conditioning repair professional and get a dedicated technician on your side today.