7 Signs That Your Air Conditioner Is Failing

The hot summer months in Utah are on their way. When the outdoor temps get close to that century mark, homeowners depend on their HVAC unit to keep them cool and comfortable. If your air conditioner fails, you’re sure to experience a few miserable days or weeks until you’re lucky enough to find someone to help with your air conditioner issues.



One way to avoid the risk of being overheated in your home is to keep your eyes open and watch for signs your air conditioner could be failing. Here are seven signs to watch for.

Funny Smells

If you’re noticing funny smells coming from your vents, especially if they are long-lasting, your air conditioner could be experiencing some issues. These smells could be moldy, musty, rotten or a burning smell. Your outdoor compressor could be the culprit of these smells.



Odd smells could be from multiple possible causes, but it’s critically important if you smell chemical smells to contact your local HVAC company immediately. This could be an indicator that you have a leak that could be toxic.

High Humidity

The hot spring and summer months can feel sticky and uncomfortable. But no one wants to experience high humidity inside. AC units, if they’re working correctly, should moderate humidity levels in your home automatically.

When your air conditioner can’t keep moisture levels low and comfortable, you need a cooling system repair. Your local experts at 1st American Plumbing, Heating and Air can help you identify if your system needs recalibration or if you should consider a whole-house dehumidifier.

Strange Noises

Air conditioning units typically make low-level noises when they’re starting up or shutting down. But if you’re hearing sudden loud or odd noises coming from your unit, this can signal big problems could be ahead with your cooling system.



When you hear any rattles or buzzing noises, this could mean there’s a loose part. If you hear a whistle or grinding noise, this could indicate a more serious issue, and that type of issue won’t just disappear on its own. When you hear these noises, it’s important you contact service professionals immediately to determine if your unit needs a tune-up or if something more serious is going on.

Inconsistent Temperatures

Your home’s temperature should be consistent from room to room unless you have a multi-zone HVAC system. When you notice one room cool and the next room is warm, there’s a chance you have a problem with your AC system.



If the issue is insufficient airflow to certain rooms, this could mean there could be a blockage preventing air from moving through your ductwork. But it could also mean something more seriously is going on with your system.

Incorrect Thermostat

If you notice that the temperature in your home isn’t matching up with the temperature listed on your thermostat, you should first examine your thermostat to ensure it’s working correctly—perhaps it isn’t programmed correctly.

But if all seems well with the thermostat, test it by turning it all the way down and see if the air conditioning unit comes on. If it doesn’t, the issue is with your cooling system, not the thermostat. You should contact your local service professionals immediately.

Big Increases in Power Bill

When your monthly power bill comes and you see a big increase out of the blue, you’ll want to check your HVAC unit. You should do this especially if you’ve noticed any of the signs listed above.



If you can trace the increase in power usage to your air conditioner, it could mean that your system is needing to work all the time to keep up with the cooling. This is a huge waste of energy, and it’s also putting extra stress on your air conditioning unit. When your unit needs to work this hard, it won’t last as long as it should and leave you needing to replace the entire unit prematurely.

Power Instabilities

Is your air conditioning unit turning on and off erratically throughout the day? It could be possible that your HVAC unit isn’t getting enough power supply to keep working as it should. This requires an immediate repair, because it could affect your breakers or your entire power system in your home.

Another reason this could be happening is because your cooling system could be overheating. Once the unit cools down, your power goes back to normal. This will happen over and over, and down the line, it could be a fire hazard. Don’t ignore the power issues and contact your local professionals at 1st American Plumbing, Heating and Air immediately.

When an air conditioning unit goes down in the hot summer months, it’s not a pleasant experience for any homeowner. Paying close attention to these signs we mentioned above and scheduling regular maintenance for your system can help you avoid a dreaded outage. The expert technicians at 1st American are here to help, so contact us today at (801) 477-5818 to help you with all of your air conditioner repair or replacement needs.