The 5 Most Common Air Conditioning Problems In Philadelphia
Don't let air conditioning problems ruin your summer in Philadelphia. Stay ahead of the game with these top 5 common issues and take action now to keep your AC running smoothly.
There are many air conditioning problems. One of them cause your HVAC unit to perform poorly and stop functioning. You can avoid improper operation of your air conditioner. It should be turned on only when the doors and windows in your home are closed. Avoid air conditioning repair problems in Philadelphia.
If an air conditioner was installed improperly or been maintained by an unqualified technician, it will not function correctly. Defective installation of a central air conditioning can cause restricted airflow and air duct leakages. Check the manufacturer specification before you buy any air conditioner. Refrigerant in the air conditioning system should be balanced by professionally trained HVACR technician. Every homeowner should understand that ensuring proper performance and efficiency of the air conditioning system is an appropriate pressure of refrigerant. Regardless if it’s R22 Freon or R410A Puron.
Air conditioner manufacturers design and produce high-quality air conditioning and heating products for their clients. If you notice any malfunction of HVAC system, you should check with EMCO Tech whether the circuits and fuses are correct. The system might have overheated. Let it cool down for around five minutes and reset the circuit breakers. It is normal for the compressors of central air conditioners to stop functioning when the temperatures are too high and during extremely hot days. High temperatures can make the pressure limit switch to trip. This AC issue is fixed by pressing the button inside access panel of the air conditioner’s compressor.
Here are some of the effective central Air conditioning repair tips.
1. Refrigerant Leaks
Undercharge or leak of the air conditioning unit will cause refrigerant level to be out of balance. Contact a qualified technician to diagnose and repair AC problem instead of adding refrigerant yourself. EMCO Tech servicemen will fix the leak and charge AC system with the correct amount of freon. Air conditioner will function properly when neither undercharged nor overcharged.
Inadequate maintenance. Filters and air conditioning coils should remain clean to avoid improper functioning of the air conditioner. AC compressor and blower fans will be safe from premature failure.
2. AC coil is frozen
Frozen air conditioner coil is an indication of airflow or freon balance issue. Air restrictions are caused by dirty ac filters or obstructed air ductwork. Frozen indoor coils may be result of unbalanced HVAC refrigerant level.
3. Electric control failure
Homeowners are advised not to turn air conditioning system on and off frequently because this can cause compressor and fans to wear out quickly. Hire a technician to perform tune-up and routine maintenance and ensure electrical connections and contacts are correct.
4. Sensor problems
Thermostat sensor is located behind the control panel. Its role is to measure air temperature when entering evaporative coil. Thermostat sensor should be placed near the coil but not touching it for the air conditioner to function properly.
5. Drainage problems
Room air conditioners can be affected by poor condensate water drainage. Check for accumulation of water around indoor blower unit and evaporator coil. Air conditioner has to be properly leveled to avoid clogging and ensure proper drainage.
Qualified technicians are the only ones to do these services. This calls for some caution anytime a person is hiring the right technician to install the air conditioning system. If you are having problems with your ac unit it is best to call us at EMCO Tech as we are qualified professionals 215-366-1001
Top Air Conditioner Repair Tips
Generally, whenever you have an AC Problems, you’d search Google Local Business “Air Conditioner Repair Near Me”. Hence, homeowners often call our offices For Air Conditioner Repair in Philadelphia.
What we usually find is minor issues that need to be fixed for HVAC unit to work effectively.
Here are a few tips about EMCO Tech Heating and Air Conditioning repair company in Philadelphia usually find to be the reason why homeowners ac unit is not working correctly.
- Loose Outside Condenser Cover – One of the final potential culprits of a rattling Air Conditioning unit could be the cover over the HVAC system. Philadelphia sometimes gets high winds getting dust and dirt storms called ‘Haboobs’ (we’re not making this up) that can loosen the outside covers of AC units
- Loose Belts or Broken Belts – One of the common problems that Air Conditioners often experience is loose or broken belts. Air Conditioning system works around the clock in subtropical climate such as Philadelphia, PA. Moving AC parts tend to become loose or broken. Due to wear and tear from being old and worn. Many of the moving HVAC parts are driven by mechanical belt which drives items like pumps and fans inside an Heating and Air Conditioning system.
- No Oil in Air Conditioner Compressor – It gets hot during summer in Philadelphia area. In fact, the average temperature from June until the end of August in Eastern PA tends to eclipse triple digits. Due to this intense heat moving parts inside Air Conditioner dry up due to lack of routine maintenance. One of the elements to routine maintenance is to check lubricants.
If you are currently having any of these central air conditioning repair issues, please call EMCO Tech – Emergency Maintenance Company Now. Call Today 215-366-1001 for fast AC repair in Philadelphia.
7 Easy DIY Furnace Repairs
Furnace not producing heat during the winter months can be daunting. Moreover, at least 25% of all heating service calls can easily be avoided with simple fixes that cost little or nothing. Find out easy steps that might help you repair your furnace and get it back to work.
Step 1: Check Thermostat
Before you assume you have a furnace problem, first check the thermostat to make sure it’s communicating with the furnace. Most thermostats have multiple operating positions.
- Check the temperature setting.
- Compare the temperature setting to the room temperature. Set the thermostat five degrees higher than the room temperature and see if the furnace kicks on.
- In programmable units, program settings can be bypassed altogether. Simply punch in the temperature you want with the up/down control and then press the hold button. Further, this adjustment will switch the heater on. Obviously, furnace will start if the thermostat was not programmed correctly.
- Further, check the date and time settings and make necessary corrections.
- Thermostat must set in “Heat” mode and fan in “Auto” mode.
- Gently pull the thermostat of the wall and check if it has batteries inside. Indeed, dead batteries will not let your furnace start:) Replace batteries if needed.
- Trace the thermostat wires back to the heating system and check for damages. Obviously, any recent alternations may cause damage to low voltage wiring inside walls. Hence, if you had any remodeling recently, check the wires. If you find a bend or crack in one of the thin wires, splice the line back together and wrap it with electrical tape.
Step 2: Change HVAC filters
Dirty filters can cause furnace to stop working. Dust and dirt restrict airflow. Heat exchanger will overheated and your heater will short-cycle. Replace air filter to let more air through the fan. Clogged filter will cause soot buildup on heat exchanger, reducing efficiency of the furnace and shortening its lifespan. In many cases neglected air filter may trigger maintenance service calls. Moreover, such damages might permanently damage gas furnace heater or service visit of professional HVAC technician.
You should change filters every 3 months. Ensure arrow on filter side points along airflow. We recommend to replace filters monthly if you have pets and small children. If you want to be worry free, you should consider getting a maintenance agreement. Visit this page to learn more about service agreements offered by EMCO Tech Heating and Cooling.
Step 3: Check shutoff switches and breakers
Emergency shut-off will look like regular light switch next to heating system. All properly installed furnaces must have a manual shut-off. Check the circuit breaker or fuse box. Ensure all panels of your heating system are tightly closed. Push-in safety switch located under front cover will trip the furnace if not secured.
Step 4: Make sure the chimney exhaust flue is not blocked
Often, birds build their nest in chimney exhaust flue. Turn the furnace off. Dismantle exhaust duct to check for debris. Check chimney cleanout as well. Call the professional chimney cleaning company if you unsure how to do it.
Step 5: Look for blocked or leaky air ducts restricting airflow
If your furnace is running but some rooms in your home are not getting warm, check if all vent covers are open. Check all visible ductwork for gaps or cracks between sections. Seal any gaps in air ducts with metal duct tape. Follow this link to learn about our air duct repair and cleaning services.
Step 6: Flush condensate drain lines
High-efficiency gas furnaces drain many gallons of condensation water per day while in heating cycle. Safety switch will shut down heating system if drain line gets clogged. Locate condensate line cleanout and make sure it drains by filling it with a little water. Call furnace repair technicians if you unsure how to do it, or notice water leaking from your heater.
Step 7: Clear away leaves, dirt, and trash from outdoor electric heat pump, intake, and exhaust vents
If your furnace vents on the outside of your house, make sure nothing is blocking the intake or exhaust.
Those pipes should have clean screen mesh covers. If ice is clogging one of the pipes, you have a bigger problem somewhere in the system.
Call EMCO Tech now and have professional technician service HVAC system. 215-366-1001 for fast affordable HVAC Service in Philadelphia area.
EMCO Tech Heating & Cooling provides maintenance, repair, and replacement on different types of ducted heaters. Also, we work on Oil Furnace, Electric Furnace.
Check our Preseason Heater Tune-Up Offers. Check EMCO Tech Heating and Cooling Google reviews and Contact us with confidence if you need help. Check out our Willow Grove furnace page.
Learn about possible reasons your heater is blowing cold air here.
4 Things To Know Before Turning Your Air Conditioner Back On
As Philadelphia’s winter weather slowly becomes spring and then summer
You’ll soon be reaching for that thermostat and turning the A/C back on, we’ve got some energy-reducing, repair-preventing tips for you.
As always EMCO Tech Heating & Cooling staff is here to help with your HVAC needs.
The top four things you should do before cranking the air conditioner include:
- Air filter check
- Check outdoor unit: Take a look at your AC unit: Is it looking dirty and coils are clogged up with debris? Is there presence of rust or traces of oil?
- Look at your thermostat settings: Test operation in different modes: Fan on/auto, AC/heat, Low batteries indicator.
- Schedule Air Conditioning tune-up and maintenance: Click here to request AC Tune-Up
We’ll explain why each of these tips can make or break your summer comfort…
1. Air Filter
Most homeowners don’t realize that their heater most likely shares a filter with their A/C unit. If you’ve been running heat for the past few months your filter has been sucking up and trapping air pollutants from the first use.
And, if your filter is clogged (and looks like the filter to the right) you need to change it immediately.
If you don’t get your filter changed a clogged filter will eventually choke your AC system. Yes, your A/C unit has to breathe. And if a thick layer of dirt/dust is blocking air from getting into your system, it won’t be long until you notice big problems like:
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- A frozen evaporator coil
- Ice on refrigerant lines
- Weak airflow from vents
- Unusually high energy bills
2. Clear the outdoor unit
After a harsh winter, you’ll want to make sure your outdoor unit (is clear of leaves, sticks, dirt, etc
Dirt and the leaves stuck in the condenser can harm the Air Conditioner’s efficiency and raise energy bills.
Why? Your outdoor condensing unit main job is to collect all the heat that was removed from the air inside your home. Then, the unit “dumps” all that heat into the outdoor air.
BUT if the outdoor unit is covered in dirt or stifled by a fence or foliage that’s too close, it will struggle to dump all that heat. Think of this as trying to cool off a hot bowl of soup but there’s an airtight lid over the bowl. Seems pretty ineffective, right?
The same goes for your outdoor unit—if it can’t get rid of all the heat fast enough, it will send some of the heat right back into your home, which means lowered efficiency and higher energy bills.
What to do: Use a hose on a gentle setting to spray down the condenser coils.
3. Double-check your thermostat settings
Always double check that you’ve moved the thermostat from HEAT to COOL. But you should also always make sure that your thermostat fan is set to AUTO not ON
Your AC is responsible for dehumidifying your home’s air. It does this via the evaporator coil—an A-shaped web of cold refrigerant coils.
The cold refrigerant inside those coils absorbs both the heat and moisture in the air. So, over time, moisture collects on these coils and “should” drip into a pan. But if you set the fan to ON instead of AUTO, the fan will continuously blow over the cold coils, which means moisture will never have a chance to collect and drip into a pan. Instead, the moisture is pushed right back into your home.
Setting the fan to AUTO, on the other hand, means the fan turns off between cooling cycles, allowing time for the moisture to collect and drip into the drain pan.
Setting your fan to AUTO means better humidification and lower energy bills. Related: “On vs. AUTO: One of These Thermostat Settings Costs You Big Time”.
4. Schedule Air Conditioning tune-up and maintenance. Click to view offer!
We know what you’re asking: “But why would I get maintenance now? I haven’t even ran my AC yet!”
We know—that’s the point. When you schedule Air Conditioning maintenance before the heavy cooling season, you’re making sure that any small problems are resolved before the AC starts running non-stop. Scheduling a maintenance visit by certified HVAC technician now prevents those small problems from turning into larger problems and compromising your comfort when it need it most—in the middle of harsh Philadelphia summer.
Set yourself up for cooling success this summer: get AC maintenance now.
Ready to schedule your annual Air Conditioning system maintenance? Call EMCO Tech Philadelphia’s Best HVAC Contractors to help you by phone (215) 366-1001 or via online request
Check out the areas we serve page to see if you’re within our HVAC service radius.
Is a More Expensive HVAC Filter Better?
Whole House HVAC Air PurifiersExplore Carrier Indoor Air Quality
Whole-house air cleaners are becoming an increasingly popular component of the heating and cooling systems in many homes. Wondering why? Check out the benefits below!
Fewer allergy symptoms.
Unlike standard disposable air filters, whole-house air purifiers can catch potential allergens down to .3 microns in size, removing up to 99.97 percent of particles from the filtered conditioned air.
Compact size.
Whole-house air purifiers are conveniently installed within the HVAC air handler system, eliminating the unsightly portable units in different rooms throughout the house.
Cost-effectiveness.
Whole-house air cleaners save you the expense of having to purchase both air purifier filters and HVAC filters.
Less Noise.
Because whole house air purifiers eliminate the noise associated with some portable units, they are able to create a more comfortable and healthier indoor environment with little noise.
Low Maintenance.
While standard HVAC filters last about 90 days, whole-house air purifiers last 3 to 5 years with little to no maintenance. And these units can be a part of your your existing HVAC system.
Keeping your eyes and ears open for warning signs can prevent that scenario where the system quits in the middle of night or for businesses, during work hours on the coldest day of the year,” said president of EMCO Tech Heating and Cooling, a leading HVAC company serving residential and commercial customers in Philadelphia area. “Simple maintenance during the year will prevent this problem and keep your home or business warm during the cold winter weather and hot summer days.
There are several types of air purifiers and filtration devices available:
- HEPA filters: These filters are highly effective in catching particles such as dust, pollen, and pet dander.
- Activated carbon filters: These filters are effective in getting out odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and chemicals from the air.
- Ultraviolet (UV) air cleaners: These devices use UV-C light to kill microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses in the air.
- Ionic air purifiers: These devices use electrically charged ions to attract and trap particles in the air.
- Ozone generators: These devices produce ozone, which is a molecule that reacts with and neutralizes pollutants in the air.
When picking an air filtration device, it’s important to consider your specific needs and the size of the room or space you need to purify. There are some devices for smaller rooms, and more complex filters for bigger areas. It’s also important to consider the ongoing maintenance costs of the device, such as replacement filters or regular cleaning of the device.
Contact your EMCO Tech Expert to a schedule a no-cost analysis of the benefits of whole-house air filtration. Shop Carrier Air Purifiers.
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