Summer in the Fredericksburg area can experience highs in the 90s, making an efficient and effective AC a necessity. To ensure you know how to protect your comfort, the team at Robert B. Payne is here to answer all of your AC questions.
From maintenance tasks to common repairs, we cover everything in our ultimate guide to air conditioning.
How Does AC Work?
Your AC system is responsible for removing heat and humidity from your indoor air. It includes three main components:
- Refrigerant: This chemical compound cycles through your AC system, absorbing heat from indoors to make your home cooler.
- Outdoor compressor: The compressor houses the refrigerant and releases the absorbed heat into the outdoors.
- Indoor unit: The indoor unit pulls air in and across its evaporator coils to remove heat and blow cool air into your home.
Central Air Conditioning
Central air conditioning is one of the most popular cooling systems to provide uniform cooling through your home’s ductwork, which is attached to a single indoor unit.
Ductless Mini-Splits
Unlike central air, mini-splits don’t require ductwork to cool your home. Instead, multiple indoor air handlers provide zoned cooling to individual areas of your home.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps work like a central AC but can reverse the refrigerant cycle in the winter to provide both cooling and heating in one system.
In the heat mode, refrigerant pulls heat from the outside air and brings it indoors to blow heat through your ducts.
How Do I Maintain My AC?
Maintaining your AC is a great way to ensure it’s always operating at peak performance. Essential tune-up tasks include:
- Replacing air filters every three months
- Keeping debris and landscape cleared away from the outdoor compressor
- Cleaning air vents and registers regularly
- Vacuuming the exterior coil area
- Inspecting refrigerant lines for leaks
- Scheduling professional AC maintenance annually
Sign Up for an HVAC Maintenance Plan
Looking to improve your system’s energy efficiency, reduce breakdowns, and extend its lifespan? Enroll in a maintenance plan to keep your system in top-notch condition.
At RBP, our Energy Savings Agreement includes annual tune-ups along with exclusive perks like priority service and discounts.
Common AC Problems
When your AC is working hard to keep your home at the ideal temperature, it’s bound to experience some wear and tear.
Common AC issues that you may encounter include:
- Refrigerant leaks: Ice on the evaporator coil or warm air could be caused by cracks or holes in the refrigerant lines.
- Frozen coils: Dirty filters and reduced airflow can cause your system to build up frost or ice on the evaporator coil.
- Faulty capacitor: If your AC doesn’t start, it could be due to a faulty capacitor caused by wear and tear or a power surge.
- Clogged condensate drain line: Issues like water pooling around your indoor unit or a musty smell may be the result of a clogged condensate drain line that needs to be flushed.
- Blower motor issues: Blower motor issues can lead to weak airflow and inconsistent cooling in your home.
What Should I Do If My AC Stops Working?
If your AC stops working, try these simple troubleshooting steps before calling for professional AC repairs:
- Check the thermostat: Make sure your system is set to “cool” with the fan on “auto” and that your thermostat doesn’t have dead batteries.
- Check the power supply: Go to your electrical panel and look for a tripped breaker. If it is halfway between “off” and “on,” it needs to be reset.
- Inspect the air filter: If your air filter is clogged, your system may shut down due to overheating. Try replacing filters to see if it improves airflow.
- Inspect vents: If your supply and return vents are blocked by furniture, decor, or rugs, it will restrict the cool air from entering your space.
Factors to Consider Before Air Conditioner Replacement
Trying to decide whether to repair or replace your AC system? Here are a few factors to consider:
- Age of the unit: A unit that’s only a few years old is ideal for repair, but if your system is 10 years old or older, it may not be worth it to repair.
- Cost of repair: Multiply the cost to repair your system by its age. If this is over $5,000, replacement is a better financial choice.
- Efficiency: Inefficient older systems can be replaced by highly efficient systems that provide long-term savings to offset the replacement cost.
- Refrigerants: New changes in refrigerant mandates have made older units expensive to recharge. Switching to a system with newer refrigerants will be more eco-friendly and future-proof.
Choose Robert B. Payne for All Your AC Service Needs
When you need professional and reliable air conditioning solutions in Fredericksburg, trust the team at Robert B. Payne. Our trained and certified staff have provided superior care for AC systems of all makes and models since 1930.
With written guarantees and upfront pricing, our customers expect nothing but the best from a team committed to honesty, integrity, and unwavering professionalism.
Schedule your next AC service with the team at RBP today!
