Air Conditioner Repair
Air Conditioner Repair Toronto Homeowners Can Count on!
Laird & Son Heating & Air Conditioning are Toronto’s leading heating and cooling experts. We service the City of Toronto, Markham, Scarborough, Ajax, Richmond Hill, and the East York / York region and Durham region. We specialize in older, Toronto homes so do not be afraid to contact us regarding any project, big or small.
Air conditioning maintenance is one of our top services, but we also do full (residential) air conditioning installations. Our line-up of great brands such as Lennox Air and Goodman offer the highest quality in the Canadian market. These brands promote maximum home comfort and indoor air quality. The following is a reference for our current and future customers; if they are hoping for the longest lifespan from their existing unit(s), the following are some tips to maintain your cooling systems. If you need emergency AC repair, please contact our customer care.
How To Properly Maintain Your Air Conditioning System
There are two separate components that make up a central air conditioner. They are the evaporator and condenser. Usually, the condenser unit is located on a slab of concrete on the exterior of the home. In the main duct over the furnace on in the plenum is typically where the evaporator coil is mounted.
A majority of central air conditioners connect with the forced-air distribution system in a house. Therefore, the ductwork, blower, and motor that are used for heating the house are also used for distributing cool air out of the air conditioning system. Whenever the central air conditioner is working, the hot air within the house flows into the furnace via the return-air duct. The blower moves the hot air across the (very cold) evaporator coil inside of the plenum. (This removes the heat from the air) which is then is delivered via the ducts in order to cool down the house. Whenever the air conditioner is operating, but the house does not end up cooling down, that usually means there is a problem with the distribution system.
The condenser and evaporator are both sealed. For this reason, our licensed technicians should be called in to handle all maintenance except for very routine, basic cleaning. Before the start of each cooling season, a central air conditioning system should be professionally adjusted and inspected. However, the annual checkup is not the only thing you should do. What makes us the company air conditioning repair Toronto customers have counted on for 70+ years and running, is consistency. We offer a number of maintenance plans that you can stick to, making sure your system continues to operate at its optimal efficiency level.
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Simple Ways to Maintain Your AC Unit
Whether it is central air or ductless air conditioners, frequent maintenance can keep your overall repair bills down. The condenser unit on a majority of AC installs are located on the outside part of the house and tends to accumulate debris and dirt from airborne dust, lawn mowing, and trees. There is a fan on the condenser that moves air over the condenser coil.
Cut any vines, weeds, or grass down that are growing around your condenser unit; these materials may obstruct airflow and indoor air quality. Protect your air conditioner from pets. If there is a cover, remove it first. Running the air conditioner with the cover on will kill the unit. Hose off the unit, attempting to clean the serrated surface of the unit inside the grills. Test your air conditioning on the first warm day to ensure its’ operation. If it does not come on or does not produce cold air, check your breakers, check your thermostat settings, and finally call a friendly service technician.
During fall and winter, you should protect outside condenser units from the weather in order to prevent ice damage and leaf blockage. Place a condenser unit cover over the unit that has been designed to fit the shape of your unit or take heavy-duty plastic sheeting and use a sturdy cord to secure it.
How To Handle the Refrigerant
A majority of air conditioning systems use a coolant called (R410A), which is a refrigerant. If the right amount of (R410A) is not contained in the system, then no or very little cooling will occur. If you think you might have a (refrigerant) problem, you should contact a professional service technician to recharge your system, or check if you need installation and repair. Caution: Don't try charging the system refrigerant lines on your own.
When we repair the coolant lines of your system, we check the lines that are running from the outside condenser to the evaporator inside of your house. If there is any worn or damaged insulation, this will reduce the unit's cooling efficiency. Under this circumstance, we would gladly replace it.
We use new insulation to replace any worn or damage coolant line insulation. We always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Window-units are used by many houses and apartments. Our knowledge on how to service and maintain smaller units comes in handy. Below we will be discussing how we deal with these problems to ensure that your unit continues to run smoothly. Although the following is technical, it's good to know when booking an air conditioner repair with us.
System Control Thermostat
The thermostat is behind the system's control panel. The following is what we will most likely do to replace and/or test your thermostat:
Step 1: We remove the control panel and grille from the unit. There is a special sensing bulb on the thermostat. The part extends into the unit's evaporator coil area from the thermostat. Its job is sensing what the temperature is, which the thermostat controls.
Step 2: Next, we carefully remove the thermostat since we will need to return the sensing bulb to its exact location.
Step 3: We clip the probes of the tester onto the thermostat's terminals and turn the temperature control dial over to its coldest setting. The thermostat is functioning properly if the meter says zero. If the reading is over zero, then we will replace the thermostat with a new one. If the thermostat is attached to the frame or control panel with metal tabs, clips, or screws then we connect your new thermostat in the exact same way. Contact us for a professional service technician to come check on your thermostat today.
Air Conditioning Drain Ports
While the air conditioner is operating, condensed water vapour and moisture from the evaporator coil gets funnelled through either the drain ports or opening located in between the partition in the centre of the condenser coil and evaporator coil. The fan at this point blows the moisture over the condenser coil, and the water dissipates.
Dirt may clog up the drain ports. This can result in water leaking out of the unit, so search near the grille's bottom. In order to prevent clogging, the ports we will clean the ports. This should be done at the start of each cooling season and consistently during the season. There is a drain port on most models along the cabinet frame, and we will thoroughly clean it out whenever we are cleaning the other ports on your air conditioner.
In order for your air conditioner to continue to run at it most efficient, the compressor, motor, and fan all require having maintenance done on a regular basis.
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The Air Conditioner Fan Unit
Whenever a fan malfunctions, usually the problem is dirty or loose blades. If the fan is noisy or won't operate, tightening and cleaning can usually fix the issue. The following is how we repair the fan on a room air conditioner:
Step 1: We open up the cabinet and find the fan.
Step 2: Use a soft cloth and vacuum to clean any debris away.
Step 3: On the motor shaft, our tech will check the fan blade for looseness. There is a setscrew on the blade hub that fastens the blade to the shaft.
Step 4: If there are oil ports on the fan, we will use several drops of 20-weight non-detergent motor oil to every port at the start of the cooling season.
Step 5: If we think you might have a faulty fan motor, we will test it by disconnecting the wires from the terminals and then clipping our VOM probes to the wires.
If we receive a 3-30 ohms reading, then the motor is working correctly. The motor needs to be replaced if we get a very high number or the meter is reading zero. Our professional technicians serve Toronto residents and can clean and fix your AC fan today.
Compressor and Motor Problem Solving
If there is a problem with your air conditioner's compressor or motor, call us so we can dispatch a professional technician for maintenance and repair in Toronto.
If you follow the routine maintenance that we have discussed in this article, then you will be able to handle a majority of problems that you encounter with your window unit or central air conditioning. We carry the major brands recognized in Canada, that are American standard and have a protection plan / warranty.
Laird & Son is Toronto’s HVAC specialists, one of the leading HVAC companies in the GTA. Outside of air conditioner install service and repair, or ductless air conditioning, mini splits, we do duct cleaning, furnace repairs, and furnace installation. When the Fall season rolls around it's best practice to contact us for your heater repairs and installation in Toronto. The upkeep of your heating systems also effects the furnace air quality within the home, your duct work, and can ultimately spill over into your Summer months using your AC units.
We can also help with your home's tankless water heater installation, water heater repairs, and assist with your hot water tanks, heat pumps, water tank repair, and boiler repair. We do not do fireplace repair. If you need to run gas lines please contact Enbridge.