After having a few warmer days in early spring, you may be thinking that it is time to turn on your home's central air conditioning system to make sure that everything is working properly. While the outdoor unit is designed to withstand most adverse weather conditions, there is always a possibility that excessively cold temperatures, snow, and ice could have damaged it.
When you turn on the AC system for the first time after a bad winter, you should be on the lookout for potential problems. Below are a couple of ways that the wintry weather could have damaged your central air conditioner, necessitating a call to a professional for air conditioning repairs.
1. Freezing and Thawing of Moisture Inside the System Can Damage the Condenser Coils
One way that the winter weather of the previous season may have affected your home's central AC system is that it could have damaged the condenser coils. Especially if condensation around the coils built up and then started a freezing and thawing cycle, the constant expansion and contraction of the moisture could have cracked them.
One tell-tale sign that the coils were damaged is when you find that the air coming out of your home's vents stays warm and never gets cold. If the coils have been damaged, they will need to be repaired or replaced by a professional.
2. Ice Buildup Around the Fan Blades May Have Loosened or Broken Them
Another problem you may come across when you start the air conditioner after a rough winter is that the fan blades have become loose or are even broken. If ice built up around the blades, the weight and contraction could have caused damage to them.
The one sign that you should look for when determining the condition of the fan blades is a rattling sound when the unit is turned on. If the fan blades are rattling, they have been damaged in some way and will need to be fixed or replaced.
If you suspect that your home's central AC unit was damaged during the winter months because you hear odd noises or notice that only warm air is blowing out of the vents, you should turn off the system until you have a professional take a look at it. Contact an HVAC contractor near your home's location who offers air conditioning repair services to schedule an appointment to have them fully inspect the system and take any necessary action to fix the damage caused by the previous winter's weather.
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