A cool, comfortable home can feel magical on a hot summer day. With a few taps of the thermostat, you can go from sweating to sleeping comfortably. While it may seem like magic, what’s happening in that big metal AC box outside is science.

Air conditioners rely on a refrigerant, in many cases, freon, to help cool the air circulating through your house. More often than not, when your AC breaks down and stops blowing cold air, a refrigerant leak is to blame.

Do you know how to tell if you have a freon leak? Refrigerant leaks can not only be harmful to the environment, but dangerously harmful for your health too. If you live in a house with AC, it’s important for you to be able to identify a refrigerant leak and know what to do if your AC is leaking.

What Is Freon?

As a type of refrigerant, freon removes heat from the air inside of your home as it moves through the AC unit and displaces it outside. The air conditioner then circulates the cool air through your house.

Without a refrigerant, your HVAC system would just continue circulating the same warm air through your house. For your home to stay cool throughout the summer, the level of refrigerant in your AC system needs to remain full.

The refrigeration system that houses freon in your AC is a closed system. With a closed system, none of the gas or fluid within the system has a chance of escaping, unless there’s a leak. A technician should never recommend “topping off” your system’s freon—they should recommend fixing the leak.

If your technician does recommend topping off freon, contact a different company immediately to come and take a look at your system.

5 Signs Your AC Is Leaking

You don’t have to be an HVAC expert to know if your air conditioner is leaking refrigerant. We’ve come up with five critical indicators your system needs an immediate repair.

1. AC is blowing warm air. As we pointed out earlier, refrigerants like freon cool the air by removing heat and circulating cool air through your home. If there’s not enough freon in the system, it may feel like the blower is circulating warm air through your house.
2. Low airflow. Understandably, if your system is running low on refrigerant, it won’t be pumping out as much cool air. This effect may feel like there’s a lower airflow coming through the ducts in your house.
3. Ice builds up on outside lines. If you notice your house isn’t as cold as it should be, and you start poking around the outdoor unit, you may see icy buildup on the copper refrigerant lines. This sign is a surefire indicator that your system has a refrigerant leak.
4. It won’t maintain a consistent temperature in the house. Are you noticing that your home can’t seem to keep cool during the middle of the day, but it cools down at night? If your house is struggling to stay cool, but you can still feel some cold air coming, it’s an indicator your AC may have recently sprung a leak.
5. Your utility bill has skyrocketed. If your air conditioner is running low on refrigerant, it’s not operating at its optimal efficiency. Even when working at 100 percent, ACs demand a lot of electricity. If your AC is always running because it’s trying to keep the house cool, you’re going to see it reflected on your utility bill.

What Should You Do If You Expect Your AC Is Leaking Freon?

If you expect your AC is leaking refrigerant, the first thing you should do is turn off your thermostat. By running the AC with a leak, you’re at risk for causing more damage to the unit and releasing more freon into the environment.

While refrigerant leaks are easy to identify, it usually takes a skilled hand to locate the leak, complete the repair, and recharge the system with refrigerant. Althoff Industries can help. We offer expert 24/7/365 AC repair. To schedule an appointment, give us a call at 815-455-7000 or if you have an emergency dial our hotline at 800-225-2443.

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When the weather starts to warm up, you want to be sure you can count on your air conditioner to do its job before it gets too hot. If you’re prepared, you can make sure you’re ready for the summer heat before the temps start climbing.

In this blog, we’ll outline the DIY air conditioner tasks that you can perform to get your system ready for summer. Of course, if you’d rather be enjoying the warm spring days instead of tinkering with your A/C unit give Althoff a call, and we can handle all your system’s annual A/C maintenance tasks for you.

Safety First

When working on home appliances, you must turn off the power before you get started. With air conditioners, you should turn off power at the thermostat and the breaker. Additionally, you’ll need a pair of safety glasses and possibly gloves. As you would expect, using a hose to spray debris out of the outside unit can get messy.

Air Conditioner Maintenance Checklist

When performing work on your air conditioning system, you’ll be working on the inside HVAC system and the outdoor unit.

1. Inspect your air filter

Your HVAC system needs to breathe to operate. If you’re getting ready to turn on your air conditioner for the first time, inspect the system’s air filter, first. Odds are that you’re probably due for a new filter.

Inspecting your air filter monthly and changing it as needed is one of the most simple and cost-effective ways to keep your system running.

Dirty air filters force your system to work harder, and over time, that extra workload can cause unnecessary wear and tear on the system. You don’t want your air conditioner to break down in the middle of a heatwave because of a clogged filter.

2. Inspect and clean out the evaporator drain

On the most basic level, your air conditioner keeps your house cool by removing heat from the air it’s circulating. Your air conditioner removes heat from the air using an evaporator coil, in which humidity condensates and collects. Eventually, water droplets from that drip from the coil to a drain pan, and finally, down the drainpipe.

Over time, this drainpipe can become clogged with mold or debris. If the drain can’t properly carry water away from the unit, then your system may shut off automatically to prevent damage, or it may leak water all over the floor.

You can easily clean out the drainpipe with a wet/dry vacuum. Simply use the vacuum to suction the drainpipe for a few minutes to ensure it’s clear of obstructions.

3. Clear debris away from your outdoor unit

Over winter and early spring, sticks, leaves and other debris have likely fallen on or around your outdoor air conditioner. Be sure to clear away any yard waste that has collected near your unit. You’ll want to clear at least a 2-foot radius around the unit to ensure it can function properly throughout the summer.

4. Complete a visual inspection of your outdoor A/C unit

Once you’ve cleared away any debris, visually inspect the outside unit for any signs of damage. Check to see if any pieces seem broken or out of place. This damage could be caused by the weather or by animals making nests in your unit over the winter.

Also, make sure the insulation is still in place around the unit’s refrigeration lines. Make sure the insulation isn’t brittle to the touch and surrounds the lines completely.

5. Clean the outside unit

Cleaning the outdoor unit is simple and only requires a few household tools and a garden hose. First, remove the cover from the unit. Then, remove any debris inside.

Next, use a garden hose with a sprayer attachment to clean the unit’s fins. From the inside of the unit, point the nozzle toward the outside to dislodge any debris that’s stuck between the fins. Once cleared, you can use a butter knife to straighten out any fins that have become bent or misshapen.

Need Help? Contact Althoff Industries

We know that not everyone gets excited about annual air conditioner maintenance as we do. Sit back, relax, and let us get our hands dirty instead. Contact us today to schedule your yearly air conditioner tune-up. Give us a call at 844-202-7430 or complete an online form to schedule your appointment. If you are having trouble getting your air conditioner to work even after completing the maintenance steps above, we can help with that, too. You can use the link above to schedule an appointment or, if the situation needs to be taken care of right away, call our emergency service hotline.

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Summer is in full swing and, on really hot days, all you want to do when you get home from a long day is to enjoy some cool air conditioning. Nothing kills this excitement more in the warm summer months than entering your home only to realize that your A/C is not blowing cold air. Unfortunately, an A/C is not fail-proof and they can quit blowing cool air for a variety of reasons. We have listed some of these reasons below so you can have an idea of why your A/C quit working and how you can resolve the issue.

Reasons Why Your A/C is Running but Not Blowing Cold Air

1. Your Thermostat Is Set Incorrectly

Sometimes an A/C doesn’t blow cold air simply because your thermostat settings need to be adjusted. Luckily, this is a pretty easy issue to resolve on your own. Some people think that leaving their A/C running all day is the best way to keep their home cool, but it is actually best to set your fan to AUTO, this will ensure that your air conditioner is running only when it is actually cooling the air. Changing this setting will help save money on energy bills, ensure that you don’t wear out your A/C too quickly, and keep your home cool.

2. Your Air Filter Is Dirty

Having a dirty air filter can inhibit airflow which could definitely be a reason that your A/C isn’t blowing cool air. Take out your air filter and see if there is any debris. If you do notice that the air filter is dirty, swap it out for a new one and get in the habit of changing it out every month.

A great way to ensure that your air filter is clean and your A/C works all summer long, we suggest having professional regularly scheduled maintenance.

3. Your Outside Unit Is Dirty

In the same vein as point number two, having an outside unit that is covered in dirt, dust, and other debris could also be inhibiting cool air from making its way into your home.

Air conditioners work when the inside unit (called an evaporator) absorbs heat from the air and then transfers that heat to the outside unit (called the condenser). The condenser can’t properly dissipate heat if it’s dirty or crowded with debris.

You can resolve this issue by spraying the outside unit with a garden hose on a gentle setting and removing weeds and overgrowth around the unit.

4. Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is the liquid that absorbs the heat from the air. When you don’t have enough refrigerant, your A/C can’t absorb enough heat to cool the air. Refrigerant leaks are fairly common and can definitely be the reason why your A/C isn’t blowing cold air.

Signs you have a refrigerant leak include:

1. Ice buildup on the outside unit and line
2. Bubbling or hissing noises
3. Your A/C doesn’t cool the home on hot days but works fine on cool days and at night

If you see these signs, turn off your A/C immediately and call a professional. Refrigerant chemicals are very dangerous and need to be handled by the experts.

5. Air Duct Leaks

Over time, the air ducts that move air conditioning through your home may become loose or their seal may be compromised. This means that air is escaping erratically which makes it hard to keep your home at the temperature you want. You will need to have a professional come out and evaluate your air ducts to ensure that they are not leaking cool air and make repairs as needed.

6. A Bad Compressor

The compressor is one of the most important parts of the A/C system and pushes the refrigerant through the unit. If your compressor isn’t working properly, your A/C cannot work. Compressors need to be evaluated by a professional and replaced if they appear worn out or defective. Unfortunately, compressors are expensive unless you have a warranty. Chances are if your compressor is bad, you’ll probably need to replace an entire outside unit.

7. Dirty Evaporator Coils

An evaporator coil is the part of the A/C system where the refrigerant absorbs heat. Over time, the evaporator coils get dirty and affect the performance of your A/C and make it harder to remove warm air.

Dirty evaporator coils can lead to your A/C overheating and potentially shutting off completely. Evaporator coils should be evaluated and cleaned by a professional to ensure that they are in good condition.

Schedule an Appointment and Stay Cool All Summer Long

If your A/C is not blowing cold air, contact our licensed Chicago HVAC technicians. They can help troubleshoot the problem so you can cool down and relax again. Contact us at 815-455-7000 to schedule.

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Summertime—it’s sunshine, warm breezes, barbecues and the gentle hum of air conditioners keeping houses cool throughout the neighborhood. In a split second, that gentle hum can turn into an unnerving hissing, banging or screeching. While all air conditioners make noise, it’s important to be able to recognize which noises are normal, and which noises require a professional inspection.

1. Hissing

Uh oh! More than likely, you’ve sprung a leak. Usually, a hissing sound indicates that your air conditioner is leaking refrigerant. In some cases, there’s a small opening in one of the refrigerant lines. In others, there may be an internal valve leak.

If the hissing is really loud and accompanied by squealing or screeching from the compressor, you need to turn off your air conditioner immediately. This indicates that there is too much pressure in the compressor, which could lead to a costly repair bill if you don’t act soon.

2. Screeching

One of the most startling noises is generally one of the easiest to diagnose. In newer direct-drive A/C units, you can trace a screeching noise to a shot bearing in the fan motor. Usually, you’ll have to replace the fan motor to get the noise to stop. In older A/C units, the screech could be coming from the belt that connects the motor to the blower. Belts gradually wear down, and you need to replace them from time to time.

3. Banging

A loud banging or rattling can mean that there’s a loose part somewhere in your A/C unit. Before more damage occurs, you’ll want to shut of the air conditioner as soon as you hear the noise. Is the noise louder outside of your house or inside of it? If it’s outside, one of the fan blades could have come loose in the compressor. If the noise is louder inside, your blower fan might be causing the racket.

4. Clicking

Hearing a clicking sound when the air conditioner kicks on is common and completely normal. That click is how your thermostat communicates with the unit. However, when it’s on, your A/C shouldn’t be ticking like a clock.

Like banging noises, clicking often comes from a loose or damaged part that’s hitting against something that it normally wouldn’t. An occasional clicking noise could indicate that there’s something stuck in one of the airways. On the other hand, if the clicking is constantly coming from your thermostat, there could be an issue with the circuit board.

5. Buzzing

A couple of issues could make your air conditioning unit buzz, like a swarm of hornets building a nest in your outside unit. If you can rule out pests, the buzzing could be coming from loose parts rubbing together, or your air conditioner might have frozen up. If you see a buildup of frost and ice on the unit, a professional can help you determine the cause. Finally, listen to hear if the buzzing sound is coming from the unit’s power source. The A/C could be overloading your circuit panel, which will require a professional evaluation.

If your air conditioner is making a noise that it shouldn’t, call Althoff.

Ignoring the problem could cause damage to your unit that then requires more extensive repairs. Have one of our licensed Chicago HVAC technicians check out the sound now and get peace of mind. Contact us at 800-225-2443 to schedule.

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