Air conditioners, what would we do without them? It’s all thanks to technology that we no longer have to endure sweltering heat like we did in the past. Now you move from your home to your car, then your office, and they all have ACs!
Summertime is coming and we would need these technological marvels even more. If you live in New Lenox and are looking to buy or just bought an AC, you should read this article. We would be sharing a few tips that should help if you’re about to purchase an air conditioner. However, before we go into those, let’s discuss a few issues that occur often with air conditioners.
Fix & Repair Your Air Conditioner in New Lenox, IL
So, you live in New Lenox and have a faulty air conditioner? Before you start looking for a technician, let’s go through a few things you could check to enable you to make an informed complaint.
Window AC
How Sunny Is Your Room?
To begin with, window AC units are not popular for cooling rooms quickly. If the location the appliance is mounted is always under direct sunlight when the day peaks, its efficiency might be affected. This is because the air conditioner would heat up and this will stop it from functioning at optimum levels. You can easily erect a shade over the appliance to solve this problem or move it to a cooler position.
Is It Properly Mounted?
It’s not enough to simply mount a window AC in a wall and move on; ensuring that it is properly sealed is a crucial process. The reason you feel your air conditioner is underperforming could be because it wasn’t properly sealed. When this happens, cold air that should be in the room seeps out. Placing insulation panels around the four corners should resolve this problem.
Vibrations
Every AC vibrates to some extent during use and the window variants are known to be noisier than split units. But you should be able to discern when this noise is a little too much. This often points to mistakes during the installation process, perhaps the unit is not sitting snug due to excess space. There is not much you can do about this problem but to get help from a local AC repair technician.
General AC Repair
IS Your Contactor Good?
A faulty contactor is often characterized by a strong humming noise or heavy chattering sounds. Of course, what follows these symptoms is a reduction in the performance of your appliance. Fortunately for you, these are not expensive and can be easily replaced.
Is The Compressor Obstructed
This commonly affects split units since their compressor can be kept at ground level outside. You should pay attention to the environment around your appliance. Are there obstructions that could hinder airflow? One popular culprit is leaves because they can easily get sucked into the intake vent and block them. Keep the unit away from all obstructions.
Bad Capacitor
You might wake up one day and hear your air condition unit humming aggressively, or it could be that it takes a lot of time to cool when turned on. Any of these problems could be caused by a bad capacitor. You see, the capacitor defends the motor from irregular voltage and houses the energy the compressor and fan would use. Visit https://www.britannica.com/ to learn more about capacitors.
Over time, it is expected that you would encounter challenges with it, when this happens, a replacement is due. If you’re savvy with electrical components, you could do this yourself, if not enlist the help of a technician.
What To Consider Before Buying an AC Unit
Energy Efficiency
Electricity prices are rising, and you need to prepare for it. Resist the urge to skimp out and purchase cheaper products with high-energy usage. By paying more for an energy-efficient AC, you get to save a lot of money in the future on utility bills. You can easily find air conditioners with high energy savings ratings by looking out for the star rating on the body. A high number of stars is always better.
Capacity
Air conditioners have their capacity measured in BTU, putting it simply, this measure determines the amount of heat the AC can extract. Why is this important? Because the capacity of the appliance needs to be in sync with the location you wish to install it. For instance, a bigger room used to host a lot of people would need an air conditioner with a high capacity, while a small room of 2 occupants can get by on less.
Price
The money you have available would of course determine what you’re able to get. While it is good to spend wisely, do not be afraid to buy high-end products as they produce better results. Another thing to avoid is rushing to buy newly released products as they do not have enough customer reviews to make informed decisions. A model that is at least a year old is much better.
AC Type
Air conditioners come in two types, window, and split units. The “window” version has all the components in a small compact box and is relatively cheaper. It is well suited for small rooms with a few occupants. But these are quite outdated, you’ll find.
Then we have the split unit where the compressor sits outside, and the air outlet unit is inside the room. While split unit ACs can be expensive, they also outperform the window variants and are more aesthetically pleasing. Split units are better suited for large rooms.
Extra Features
If you have a little extra money, you might want to opt for a product with extra features. AC models have evolved, and you can find models that repel mosquitoes, sleep at a pre-set time, swing 4 ways, and much more.
Final Thoughts
Whether you use a window or split unit AC, it is important to know the necessary problems and repairs to look out for. Not only is it useful to you, but it also allows you to make informed complaints to your technician. Hopefully, this is a lot easier after reading this article.