If you maintain your air conditioner properly, it may not need many repairs over its life. It may still need a few repairs since some parts have a shorter lifespan than others. Those repairs can't be avoided, but many air conditioning repairs could be prevented by keeping your AC clean and serviced. Here are two air conditioning repairs you might avoid by starting the summer off with a clean AC air handler.
1. Replace A Burned Out Fan Motor
The blower fan gets coated in dust over time, and that makes it difficult for the fan to spin and for it to produce airflow. It's important to clean the fan before summer so you start the season without any blower-related problems. The blower is also part of the furnace, so it was running all winter, and will probably be in need of thorough cleaning to get rid of dust buildup that interferes with proper blower operation.
When the blower fan gets hard to turn, the motor has to struggle, and that can cause the motor to burn out. The solution for a burned-out motor is to replace it. Plus, once the motor gives out, your AC won't put out cool air and you'll get hot and miserable in your house. You can avoid the need for this air conditioning repair by making sure the blower fan is clean and serviced before you turn your AC on for the summer.
2. Replace An Evaporator Coil That's Leaking
A leaking evaporator coil is a bad thing because it's an expensive part to replace. When it has a hole and the refrigerant leaks out, your AC won't cool your house, so replacing or repairing a bad coil is an air conditioning repair you can't put off. One reason an evaporator coil can start leaking is when it develops pinhole leaks due to corrosion from exposure to VOC outgassing in your house.
The corrosion leads to tiny pinhole leaks that let refrigerant escape. If possible, the air conditioning repair technician can solder in new copper tubing and repair the coil, but if that can't be done, the entire coil has to be replaced. This problem is less likely to occur if you have the coils cleaned every year to get rid of chemicals that coat the copper and lead to pitting and holes.
Besides these two repairs, you can avoid just by keeping the air handler clean, you can avoid many other problems with your air conditioner simply by putting in a clean filter at the start of the season and changing it regularly. A dirty filter can lead to breakdowns caused by poor airflow, overheating, and struggling parts. Expensive air conditioning repairs can often be avoided if you just keep the filter clean.
For more information on air conditioning repair, contact an HVAC company.
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