3 Common Reasons a Home A/C Will Overheat and Shut Down

The hot summer weather is a great challenge to your air conditioning unit. And if your A/C is not in its best fighting condition, expect that it will overheat and shut down. So how do you make your unit in its best shape? Simple! Prevent the occurrence of these three scenarios that are causing your unit to overheat. Remember, the best solution will always be in the form of prevention. Check out these information tidbits below!

1. Congested Air Filters

The air filters protect your air conditioners from dust, dirt and other air pollutants in the air. It acts like a safety net that screens the air that passes through so that the particles that flow in it are removed. Air filters are helpful components of your system, but if it becomes clogged with dirt and dust, it turns into your comfort’s enemy. What happens when you have clogged air filters? Of course, air flow will be obstructed, and many other problems occur, including overheating and system breakdown. You do not want any of these to happen in your A/C right? So you better be vigilant when it comes to your unit’s filters.

2. Dirty Condenser Coils

Give equal importance to your outdoor and indoor components since both of these play a crucial role in giving your home enough cool air. Inside the outdoor unit is the condenser coil which releases heat outside to cool the refrigerant and facilitate the cooling process. This operation, however, is compromised when the coils become dirty. What happens when your condenser coil is filled with dust and dirt? Well, it will take a long time for the refrigerants to cool which means your unit will have to run more than the needed time. That is where overheating takes place.  Schedule a regular condenser coil cleaning service with your trusted HVAC professionals to prevent this from happening.

3. Insufficient Refrigerant

Refrigerants are the blood of your unit. It flows from here to there to collect heat and bring in cool air into your home. Insufficient refrigerant content causes the same scenario as having a dirty condenser coil. It will make your system run constantly and eventually cause it to overheat and breakdown. When you have a problem with your refrigerant, be sure to seek professional help. The only reason for insufficient refrigerant content is a leak. Be sure that your technician will find those leaks first before filling in the right amount of refrigerant. We at Spencer Air Conditioning & Heating recommend one solution to prevent overheating and breakdown of your component. And that is to schedule a regular HVAC maintenance with our qualified experts. Let us keep your units in tip-top shape all year-round. Call us today!