5 Signs It’s Time for a New A/C Unit

Winter is finally turning into spring, that special time of the year when everyone opens their windows to let in some fresh air. Depending on your hometown’s climate, it may already be warming up enough to feel like summer (temperatures can rise in parts of the Lower Mainland in BC even in April!). That means it’s time to switch on the A/C and let it do its thing…right?

If the air conditioning hasn’t been touched since last summer, hold that thought of switching it on now. Here’s why.

Examine your unit now and not later

By the time summer rolls around, it’s the busy season for us technicians. It’s a lot harder to schedule maintenance or a tune-up of your air conditioning, especially if you don’t switch it on until summer is in full swing and then realize something is wrong. Spring, on the other hand, is one of the low seasons for us, so there’s plenty of opportunity and time for us to tend to your HVAC needs, whatever they may be. So that’s why we insist that you examine your A/C unit now instead of later.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the five biggest warning signs you should get new air conditioning.

Sign 1: Poor Airflow

Air that is hardly cooling the room down or it feels weakly distributed is one of the biggest telltale signs of an A/C unit in need of replacing. This usually occurs because of the unit’s compressor or ductwork. The compressor could be on its last legs, or there is something clogging the ductwork. Either way, this is the sign that needs to be addressed first if you identify it.

Just as bad as weak or no airflow is warm airflow. Your A/C should not be pumping out air that’s warm—that’s your furnace’s job. Warm air from the A/C usually means a problem with the compressor or that it’s low on refrigerant. These symptoms could also mean there is no cool air at all; both are a cause of concern.

Sign 2: Weird noises

Any working A/C should be running with minimal noise; a quiet hum is what you will most likely hear from a healthy unit. So any noises such as knocks, whines, loud hums (as in louder than per usual), and groans are a cause of concern—and depending on the cause, it’s a sign for new A/C. Otherwise, letting these noises carry on can lead to bigger, costlier jobs to install a new unit when it’s the summer months (not something we recommend).

Sign 3: Bad Smells

The indoor air after switching on your A/C should never produce a poor or unpleasant smell. If you do smell something such as burning or melting plastic, for example, or as if hair has caught on fire, or if there’s a foul smell you can’t pin down, it could have to do with your A/C unit.

Dust and grease may have accumulated too much around the compressor, or there’s a pollutant in the air ducts and ventilation that you can’t see (yep, all kinds of gross stuff can build up). Worst case if you smell burning, it can mean the electrical connections are shorting out or have shorted out. If that’s the smell, stop what you’re doing at once and turn off the A/C. Call in a professional and report the smell to them; they may be better able to understand the problem that caused it.

Sign 4: Leaks

No A/C should be leaking! Coolant is needed to help the condenser perform its cooling job properly. It may mean the condensation tray used to evaporate coolant and expel it into the air to lower the temperature could be overflowing. Moisture on top of the unit (i.e. it’s ‘sweating’) can also indicated a humidity issue.

Sign 5: It Constantly Runs

A perfectly sized A/C unit should never have to run constantly in order to perform its cooling job. If yours does, however, it usually means either the room is too big for your A/C or the unit itself is too small. It could also mean the unit is getting too old and needs to be replaced. An additional sign of air conditioning that’s too big or small to do a good job is if it runs for a bit, then shuts off—even though the room in question is still very warm.

Spring is a slow season for your HVAC technicians, so if you’ve noticed any of the above signs we’ve discussed in your A/C or you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade to a newer system, give us a call. At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs from heating and cooling to refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote: 1-778-728-1476 or contact@repairheatingandcooling.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!