Having a functional air conditioner in your Bradenton, FL home is essential. With daytime temperatures regularly rising above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, your cooling system keeps you both comfortable and safe. By extracting excess humidity, your AC also limits your risk of mold and mildew infestations. Unfortunately, the same climate that your air conditioner protects you from wreaks havoc on its indoor and outdoor components. At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating, we help homeowners extend the lifespans of their air conditioners by sharing some of the most common AC issues in the region.
AC Capacitor Failure and Electrical Malfunction
Your air conditioner uses more energy at startup and during its cooling cycle than your electrical panel can supply at once. To overcome this deficiency, it has a capacitor that draws and stores electricity and distributes it as needed. At the start of a cooling cycle, the capacitor revs up your blower motor with short, powerful jolts. During the cooling cycle, it sends a smaller and far more steady electrical current. Without a working capacitor air conditioners may run, but they won’t cool. In some instances, they might not start up at all.
In most locations, a high-quality and correctly installed capacitor can last as long as 20 years. In Bradenton, these components often fail after just five years. High humidity, high temperatures, and extended AC use cause capacitors to fail before their time.
Although you can’t change Bradenton’s climate, there are a few things that you can do to protect your AC capacitor from unnecessary wear:
- Protect your AC against power surges with whole-home surge protection
- Schedule annual AC maintenance
- Update your electrical system as needed
- Schedule timely repairs
- Regularly inspect and change your HVAC air filter
Limiting operational stress protects AC compressors from damages that aren’t climate-related.
Clogged Condensate Drains
Throughout the nation, AC condensate drains are at risk of developing thick algal blooms and slimy biofilm during the off-season. Given that Bradenton’s winters are short and relatively warm, the risk of these problems is a bit higher for locals. These growths obstruct drainage and can cause problems like high indoor humidity, short cycling, and pooling water on your floor.
When your air conditioner isn’t in use, trapped moisture in your condensate drain line creates the perfect conditions for mold and algae formation. To avoid blockages in your condensate drain, always schedule professional AC maintenance before turning your air conditioner on for the season.
Rust and Other Corrosion
High humidity creates the risk of rust and other corrosion on both indoor and outdoor components. In Bradenton, metal parts like motor bearings often have shorter-than-average lifespans. Without regular maintenance and humidity mitigation, evaporator and condenser coils can sustain serious rust-related damage. Although they’re made of copper, even AC refrigerant lines can experience rapid, humidity-related wear. While copper is resistant to rust, it can still develop other forms of corrosion.
During annual AC tune-up service, we inspect, clean, and maintain all corrosion-prone components. We also generously lubricate all moving, metal AC parts.
Dirty Evaporator and Condenser Coils
Evaporator and condenser coils are central to your air conditioner’s heat transfer process. They act as heat exchangers by alternately extracting heat and humidity from the indoor air and depositing them outside. When AC coils are dirty, AC refrigerant has a hard time absorbing and releasing heat. The result is often icing, overheating, or increased indoor temperatures and damp, muggy conditions.
Both indoors and out, when moisture from humid air settles on AC coils, it attracts and retains particulate matter. This creates tough, tacky buildups that decrease AC efficiency and cause cooling system stress. Coil cleaning is a standard part of routine AC maintenance.
Damaged and Blocked AC Condensers
Not all AC problems in Bradenton are humidity-related. The region definitely gets its fair share of hurricane weather. Hurricane season starts on June 1st and ends on November 30th. For six months of the year, outdoor condensers are at risk of being battered by strong winds and heavy, windblown debris. Things like falling tree branches, detached gutters, and loose roof shingles or tiles can cause major impact damage.
Before hurricane season starts, have your trees pruned. Tree care experts can also thin out dense canopies to make them less top-heavy and to keep trees from being uprooted. You should additionally have your roof inspected and all loose roofing materials repaired.
Make sure that your condenser has two feet of clearance on all sides all of the time. During the windiest months of the year, regularly remove all loose, windblown debris and trim back overgrown foliage.
For everything else, get in touch with One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating. We offer high-quality and model-specific AC tune-up services. Best of all, we streamline our care to suit the challenges and demands of the local climate.