Now that we’re in the middle of the summer season, most people are using their air conditioners to keep themselves cool on a day-to-day basis. That’s all well and good, but it does mean that those air conditioners are placed under more stress than usual. That means more chances for problems to crop up, so you need to be on the lookout for your air conditioner’s health.
One of the first signs that an air conditioner is experiencing trouble is strange sounds occurring during operation. Let’s go over some of those sounds, and what they might mean for your system.
If you hear a loud grinding noise coming from your air conditioner, you likely have an air handler problem. The air handler is the part of your system that circulates air throughout the house. Because the air handler motor is one of the hardest working parts of your air conditioner, it is outfitted with bearings to lessen the friction on it. If the bearings wear out and are not replaced, the friction on the motor will increase until it burns out. That grinding noise is the sound of the bearings wearing down. You’ll need to have them replaced to save the motor.
Hissing and gurgling is typically a sign that you have a leak in the refrigerant line. This allows air to enter the line, which is what causes those sounds. An air conditioner without refrigerant cannot operate, as it cannot siphon heat from the home. A refrigerant leak is a serious problem for your air conditioning system, and one that you should have looked at immediately. Otherwise, you are going to find that your air conditioner will break down sooner rather than later.
