Don't Sweat It! Call Manuel & Sons For A/C Trouble

By the time most San Antonio homeowners call about their air conditioner, the system has been warning them for weeks. A slightly higher bill in May, a room that would not quite cool in June, a new rattle in July. Catching those signs early is the difference between a quick repair and a week without cooling during the hottest part of the year. Here is what to listen and look for.

It runs constantly but the house never gets there

An air conditioner that is properly sized and working right should cycle off several times an hour on a 95 degree day. If it runs from noon to midnight and the house hovers at 78 with the thermostat set to 74, something is wrong: low refrigerant, a dirty coil, a failing compressor, or duct leaks dumping cold air into the attic. This is the most common early sign we see, and the longer it runs this way, the more it costs on the bill and the more wear it puts on the compressor.

Warm air from the vents

Put your hand over a supply vent. The air should feel noticeably cold, about 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the room. If it is cool but not cold, or plain warm, the system is moving air without removing heat. Common causes are a failed outdoor fan or compressor, a refrigerant leak, or a frozen coil. Shut the system off and call rather than letting it run.

Water where it should not be

A wet spot on the ceiling under the attic, water around the indoor unit, or a musty smell from the vents means the condensate drain is backing up. In San Antonio's humidity a system can pull 10 to 20 gallons of water a day out of the air, and all of it goes down that drain line. A clog means a ceiling stain at best and a collapsed drywall panel at worst. Many systems have a float switch that shuts the AC off when this happens, which is why a "dead" system in July is often just a plugged drain.

New noises

A grinding or squealing sound from the outdoor unit usually means a fan motor bearing is going. A loud buzz or hum without the fan turning is often a failed capacitor. A rattle from the indoor unit can be a loose panel or a blower wheel coming off balance. Clicking that repeats without the system starting points to a contactor or control board. None of these fix themselves and all of them get more expensive if ignored.

Short cycling

If the system starts, runs for a few minutes, shuts off, and repeats, it is short cycling. This can be a thermostat problem, an oversized system, a refrigerant issue, or an overheating compressor. It is brutal on equipment because startup is the hardest moment in a compressor's life, and short cycling makes it start dozens of extra times a day.

The bill went up and the weather did not

Compare this month's kilowatt-hours to the same month last year on your CPS Energy bill. If usage is up 20 percent or more and the weather was similar, the system is losing efficiency. A dirty evaporator coil, a weak capacitor making the compressor work harder, or a slow refrigerant leak are the usual culprits.

What to do

Turn the system off if you see ice or hear grinding. Check the filter and the breaker. Then call us at 210.549.4839. Our San Antonio AC repair technicians diagnose first, quote in writing, and carry the parts that fail most often, so most calls are fixed the same day. Do not sweat it; that is our job.