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Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog

Amateur AC Repair Errors We Often See

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Please don’t attempt to make repairs to your air conditioning system on your own if you’re not a trained HVAC technician. And don’t let amateurs take on AC repairs either. It’s that simple: the modern central air conditioner is a complex piece of refrigeration technology that requires years of training and special tools to repair. 

If you have a malfunctioning cooling system in your home, the best way to deal with it is to call us to schedule AC repair in Alachua, FL. We’re responsive professionals with more than two decades of history fixing all types of air conditioning problems.

We can use our experience repairing ACs to explain why amateur tampering can go so wrong. We’ve often inspected air conditioners and discovered mistakes made from some non-professional attempts to fix them. If your current AC was already in your house when you moved in, you may not even realize your cooling system has these “amateur patches,” and they can lead to trouble later. Here are a few of the more common botched repair errors we see.

The overcharged AC

We see this one far too often! It occurs when an amateur tries to fix a problem with leaking refrigerant. Any refrigerant lost from leaks must be recharged. However, the recharge must replace only as much refrigerant as was lost so the AC is restored to its factory level. Amateurs frequently put in too much, and this overcharge is as bad as an undercharge. It lowers the system’s efficiency and can cause a condition called slugging in the compressor, which puts the compressor in danger of burning out. 

Bad soldering on the control board

The control board for the AC is the central hub of electrical operations. Amateurs trying to repair issues with the control board may do a sloppy soldering job. Like most patchwork fixes, it only temporarily solves the problem and can lead to worse problems down the road, such as potential electrical fires.

AC poorly connected to the power system

Has your air conditioner frequently tripped its circuit breaker? There are several reasons this might happen, and one is that an amateur repair has incorrectly connected the air conditioner to the power system. 

Damaged coils from improper cleaning

Cleaning the indoor and outdoor coils is a regular part of air conditioning maintenance, as well as a repair job when the coils collect excessive dust, grime, or even mold. However, just scrubbing the coils with any cleaner isn’t the way to handle cleaning them. The coils are precision components, and professionals clean them by detaching them and using special chemicals. Amateur cleaning can bend the coils or even create refrigerant leaks. 

Mismatched thermostat

This often occurs when a homeowner is hunting for an upgraded thermostat and comes across an offer for one online. They order it and try to install it themselves. This can lead to disaster: a new thermostat has to be matched to the existing system, otherwise, the new thermostat can damage the air conditioner. We definitely approve of thermostat upgrades, but you need professionals to not only install one but to help you select the right new unit. 

Call Touchstone Heating & Air Inc 24/7 for exceptional customer service! We’ve served the communities of North Central Florida since 1998. 

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