The heat has dropped significantly since the scorcher weather we experienced at the end of July and in early August. This doesn’t mean that your AC is out of this rough patch of keeping your home cooled down, however. Summer isn’t over yet, and we know that intense heat can strike into the fall.
With this in mind, we want to talk to you about the compressor in your AC. This is the part of your cooling system you want to keep in the best condition. It’s the “engine” of the entire air conditioner, drawing on the most electrical power to perform the job of circulating refrigerant and placing it under pressure. Without the compressor, the AC can’t cool anything and is just a big central fan. Because the compressor is an expensive part to replace, people often choose to replace their whole AC system rather than just the compressor should it fail.
We want to help you with fast air conditioning repair in Colorado Springs, CO, when you’ve got an imperiled compressor. Watch for these signs and call us ASAP to see if we can rescue your compressor (or fix whatever is wrong).
Steep rise in electric bills
The compressor uses an immense amount of electricity: from 35,000 to 41,000 watts/hr. The only other appliance in a house that uses more is an electric water heater. If the compressor starts to malfunction, it will place a much higher demand on electricity, and this will show up on electric bills. Don’t ignore such a sudden rise in your bills—your AC may be shouting for help.
Loud or strange noises from the condenser
The outdoor condenser cabinet is where the compressor is located—it’s better to have this unit outside and keep down the noise. But if you hear noises louder than the standard whir and hum from the compressor, or something strange you haven’t heard before, it may be a major malfunction. We recommend you shut off the power to the AC (there’s a switch under a cover near to the condenser) and then call our technicians right away.
The condenser is visibly vibrating
Although you can feel the vibrations of the compressor and fan when you put your hand on the condenser, these vibrations shouldn’t be strong enough that you can see them. If this is the case, something is wrong with the compressor or else the fan, and you don’t want to delay getting experts to look into it.
Changes in indoor temperature and humidity
A compressor in trouble won’t be able to circulate refrigerant as well, and this will have an effect on the cooling power of the AC. Not only that, but the AC will not remove as much moisture from the air as it runs, and this will result in higher humidity. You may notice the humidity changes before the temperature changes, and either one warrants a repair call.
Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning serves Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. Contact us today for whatever AC repair service you need.
