What Are Houston Appliance Repair’s Most Common AC Fixes?

Your central air conditioner system should keep you cool during hot summer weather in Houston—without a big utility bill. Houston Appliance Repair can make sure the temperature inside your home stays cool. We offer AC repair, installation and maintenance to keep your air conditioner running smoothly all summer long.

Here are the most common AC problems that Houston Appliance Repair encounters.

Dirty AC Filters

If you forget about changing the air filter in your central air conditioner, you’re not alone. Houston Appliance Repair technicians often find that a dirty air filter is preventing a central AC unit from cooling. Failing to change the air filter can lead to serious problems in the air conditioner such as:

• Icing up of evaporator fins due to poor airflow.
• Extra strain on the blower fan causing the blower motor to overheat and fail.
• Dust and allergens being distributed into your home through AC air vents.

In Houston, changing your AC air filter regularly is essential to keeping you cool and preventing costly breakdowns.

Clogged AC Condensate Drain

When water starts leaking from the AC blower unit inside your home, it’s almost certain that the condensate drain is clogged. Many models of central air conditioners in Houston will shut down when the condensate drain clogs. A float switch in some air conditioners detects the back-up of condensate water in the drain system and shuts off the unit.

Here’s a DIY troubleshooting video that describes the problem on a common Carrier air conditioner:

If you have water leaking from the central air conditioner unit inside your home, you may be able to fix the problem yourself by following the DIY repair steps in that video.

If you’re not certain that you safely fix the problem yourself, schedule a Sears Technician from Houston Appliance Repair to fix your air conditioner.

Blown AC Capacitor

A capacitor is an electrical device that stores an electrical charge and releases the charge when needed to start the compressor and/or condenser fan motor on the outside unit. It’s common in the Houston area for capacitors on the outside compressor/condenser unit to fail.

When the capacitor fails, the inside blow unit will blow warm air but the AC won’t cool. You’ll notice that the outside unit won’t run when the capacitor is bad. The compressor motor and condenser fan motor need the burst of electrical current from the capacitor to start. When the capacitor is blown, the compressor motor and/or the condenser fan motor can’t start. You may hear a click and hum from the outside unit occasionally when the capacitor is bad.

Replacing the bad capacitor is not a DIY repair. When your AC quits cooling and you suspect that the capacitor is blown, schedule AC repair service through our Houston Appliance Repair Service Center.

Bad Control Thermostat

Located on the wall of your home near the central air conditioner inside unit, the control thermostat displays the settings and sends signals to the AC’s electronic control board to activate components when you push the buttons. If the display won’t light up or if the thermostat won’t respond when you select a button, have a Houston Appliance Repair Technician replace the thermostat.

If you’re confident in your DIY repair skills, you can replace the thermostat by following the procedure in this Repair Guide: How to replace a heating and air conditioning system thermostat.

How Can I Keep My Air Conditioner From Breaking Down?

Air conditioner checkups from Houston Appliance Repair help keep your central AC system running at its best. Routine AC maintenance also helps prevent costly repairs and can make your home cooling system more energy efficient.

During a central air conditioner checkup, the Sears Technician from Houston Appliance Repair will:

• Check your control thermostat settings and review the settings with you.
• Check the air filter.
• Check electrical connections.
• Make sure the system controls and safety circuits work properly.
• Lubricate the blower motor, if necessary.
• Check the condenser coil and clean it, if needed.
• Make sure the condensate pump works properly, if applicable.
• Check and clean the condensate drain line.
• Check the evaporator for adequate air flow.

Schedule a central air conditioner checkup every spring to keep your home’s cooling system in top shape and ready for the hot summer in Houston, Texas.

Houston Appliance Repair services every major brand of air conditioner including:

• Carrier
• Trane
• Goodman
• Lennox
• Kenmore
• Rheem

Contact Houston Appliance Repair to service your central air conditioner when it isn’t cooling properly. Same day and next day appointments are available in many Houston areas.