“What are some of the more common problems that units have in the hot summer weather?”

Answer: Summertime is always fraught with problems. Three of the most common problems are condensation leaks, insufficient refrigerant and faulty capacitors. Condensation leaks are caused by lint and dust that passes through the filter and collects in the condensate line. When it clogs up, it spills over and makes a real mess. Insufficient refrigerant is common with the huge push for higher efficiency coils. To that end, coils are becoming thinner and thinner, causing them to leak occasionally. And now, with R-22 Freon being phased out, this has become quite expensive.

Occasionally, you will find a 30-year-old air conditioner still sporting its original run capacitor. This is because back then, the units were built with Printed Circuit Board’s (PCB’s) in them and they would almost never go bad. But now, they go bad more often than they should. I try to stay with American made PCB’s because one summer, I had to replace every one that had been purchased from outside the country.

Run capacitors are inexpensive, but the damage a bad run capacitor can cause to your unit can become costly to repair. A bad run capacitor can damage your compressor, blower motor or the fan motor, and these can be very expensive to replace.

The good news is that all three of these problems can be avoided with a seasonal checkup. Please call Bella Vista Heating and Air at 479-273-9640 to schedule your appointment and avoid these costly repairs!