Tampa Homeowner’s Guide to Air Conditioning Problems

How to Tell If Your AC Needs Repairs or Maintenance

An air conditioner that makes strange noises or smells funny is trying to tell you something: it needs service. We believe in educating homeowners so they can make informed AC repair, maintenance, and replacement decisions. Below, you’ll find information about the most common AC repairs in Southeast Tampa, with links to more info.

Why Does My AC Smell Funny?

You may notice smells when your air conditioner is running. Some AC odors are normal and no reason to worry, but others indicate an AC problem that needs urgent attention.

Common air conditioner odors include:

• AC smells like vinegar
• AC smells musty
• AC smells sweet
• AC smells like natural gas
• AC smells like mildew
• AC smells like urine

Each of these smells has its own explanation. If you smell a foul, skunk-like odor, it could be a gas leak. Turn off the gas supply immediately and call a technician. A stale or dingy smell could indicate mildew growth in your air conditioner due to water accumulation in the drain pan or drip lines. A burning rubber smell could be due to an electrical problem.

Learn more about what air conditioner smells mean – and what to do about them.

Why Is My Air Conditioner Making Unusual Noises?

Is your air conditioner clunking, whirring, humming, or whistling? Strange AC noises can be caused by a worn fan belt, a bent or damaged fan blade, a loose or broken part, a failing compressor, debris in the outdoor unit, or an electrical problem.

Learn more about what air conditioner noises mean – and what to do about them.

Why Is My AC Frozen?

Ice build-up on an air conditioner can indicate several problems, including dirty air filters, low refrigerant levels (and possibly a refrigerant leak), too much refrigerant, a broken blower motor, or a dirty evaporator coil.

If you see ice build-up on the indoor cooling coil, give us a call. Same if you see ice build-up on the outdoor refrigerant line or on the outdoor condenser unit. A frozen AC compressor or other AC freezing issues should be fixed or you’ll end up with bigger problems.

Learn more about why your AC is freezing – and what to do about it.

Why Is My AC Leaking Refrigerant?

Your air conditioner should not “lose” refrigerant through normal operation. If your AC refrigerant is low, it almost always means you have a refrigerant leak.

The signs of an air conditioner leaking refrigerant are easy to spot: you may notice frozen coils, warm air blowing from your air conditioner, higher electric bills, a loss of cooling power, or hissing and gurgling sounds from indoor AC units.

Causes of AC refrigerant leaks include corrosion of the evaporator coil, improper AC system installation, or damage due to loose or worn-out parts.

Learn more about AC refrigerant leaks – and what to do about them.

How Do I Know If My AC Drain Line Is Clogged?

If you see signs of a clogged condensate drain pipe, call us for service. A clogged AC drain line is a common cause of AC system problems.

Common signs of a clogged AC drain line are musty smells near your vents; standing water near your indoor AC unit; water damage near your indoor unit; or an air conditioner that shuts down, won’t turn on, or doesn’t cool the home.

Learn more about clogged AC drain lines – and what to do about them.

Why Is My AC Cycling On and Off Quickly?

AC short cycling is one of the most common AC problems we fix. AC short cycling is both a symptom of an air conditioner problem and a cause of further AC problems.

Short cycling occurs when your air conditioner or heat pump gets stuck in the start-up cycle. Your AC turns on and off rapidly, without ever running a cooling cycle.

Numerous things can cause your air conditioner to short cycle: clogged air filters, low refrigerant, or even an incorrectly sized AC unit.

If a short-cycling air conditioner isn’t fixed right away, it can quickly lead to compressor burn-out – a costly repair. Worse yet, replacing a compressor is typically not an economical repair, which means you may have to replace the AC unit altogether.

Learn more about AC short-cycling – and what to do about it.