When you rely on your air conditioner on a daily basis during the summer, the last thing you want is for it to fail completely and leave you roasting at home on a hot day. Luckily, there are usually signs that your air conditioner has a problem, which gives you time to have repairs made and helps you avoid an issue causing your A/C to completely shut down or even need to be replaced. Common signs that an air conditioning unit is in need of repair include:

Lack of Cold Air

You may notice that your air conditioning is running like normal, but the air coming through your vents is noticeably less cool than it usually is. Several issues can cause your air conditioning to start blowing air that is no longer cold-- one problem may be that the compressor in your air conditioning unit has failed and need to be replaced. Another common cause of air that is not as cold as it should be is low freon levels in your air conditioning unit. Both of these issues can typically be fixed by an experienced HVAC technician (such as one from Nebraska Heating & Air).

Leaking Around Your A/C Unit

It is always a good idea to visually inspect your outdoor A/C unit on a regular basis. If you look at your unit and notice any kind of liquid leaking, it is typically the sign of a problem that needs to be addressed. Best case scenario, the leak is just water, and the drain tube that disposes of condensation within the unit has become blocked or broken. A more serious issue is leaking freon, which is quite toxic to humans and animals. It is in your best interest to call an HVAC company when you notice that anything is leaking out of your A/C unit since coolant leaks should be dealt with as soon as possible.  

Loud Sounds

If you use your A/C on a regular basis, you get used to how it sounds when it is running. The introduction of loud, foreign sounds is typically a sign of a problem within the unit itself. The presence of a squealing noise usually signifies that a belt has fallen out of place and needs to be repositioned, or internal parts of the unit require lubrication to function properly. Grinding noises coming from your air conditioning unit while it's running often mean that the bearings on the motor have broken and need attention.