You’re probably familiar with a car that’s hard starting. Think of a winter day when it takes a few tries for the motor in your vehicle to finally turn over, making a real struggle to get the “juice” it needs to come to life.
The same problem can occur in a central air conditioning system. A powerful motor runs the compressor that’s at the heart of the AC. Sometimes, this motor will have trouble getting started because it’s not drawing enough voltage or it can’t overcome resistance. The same way you don’t want a car to hard start, you don’t want an AC to hard start either. It means too much stress put on the compressor motor and may eventually lead to this vital part of the system burning out. Replacing a compressor is expensive, and often it’s better to put in a completely new AC system (new outdoor condenser and indoor evaporator coil) than get a new compressor.
Call for an HVAC Professional When You Have a Hard Starting AC
When you hear grinding and clicking noises from the air conditioner when the compressor tries to start, you’ve likely got hard starting troubles. Don’t ignore this—call for a Syracuse, IN, HVAC contractor you can trust. The contractor will send a licensed technician to examine the air conditioning system and see if it’s hard starting and what’s causing it. In simple cases, the technician may only need to lubricate and clean motors or replace old capacitors to solve the problem. There are two other larger solutions:
Install a hard start kit
If the technician thinks the compressor still has some years of solid performance left, they’ll probably recommend putting in a hard start kit. This is like putting in a kick-starter for the AC’s compressor. It provides extra voltage to the compressor motor to start it. This lets you get a few more years out of the air conditioning system at a reasonable cost.
Replace the compressor/AC
The technician may see that age is wearing down the system and the compressor is likely to fail soon, even with a hard start kit. If the air conditioner is still under warranty, the technician will probably suggest replacing the compressor (provided the compressor is covered under parts and labor). If the AC is no longer under warranty and over 15 years old, the technician will advise putting in a new air conditioner.
You Can Trust Collier’s
You may face a big choice about your air conditioning system when it’s hard starting. Replacing an air conditioner is a major expense. But if it’s the right option, the new AC will payback its installation costs in a few years—and you’ll have reliable cooling along with it.
Collier’s has a rock-solid reputation for honesty and quality. When you call us to look into your hard starting air conditioner, we’ll be upfront and honest about the service you need. We aren’t here to upsell you on unnecessary services—we’re in this to provide comfort for your family. Our integrity has made us a trusted company for over three decades.
Fix that hard-starting system ASAP with Collier’s Heating & Air Conditioning. A Company You’ve Come to Trust for Over 30 Years!
