Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog: Archive for April, 2016

A Hissing Sound from Your Air Conditioner: What It Might Mean

Monday, April 25th, 2016

We are getting closer and closer to the time when you’ll need your air conditioning system working steadily to provide your family with pleasant indoor temperatures. As the cooling system starts its regular operation for the middle of the year, make sure that you pay close attention to unusual sounds coming from the cabinets. This is one of the ways that a refrigeration device like an AC warns that something is wrong with it that requires the attention of professionals.

One of the common warning sounds from an air conditioner is a hissing, like gas escaping. We’ll look into what this might mean.

Brief hissing sounds

Your air conditioner will sometimes make hissing sounds as part of its regular operation. The expansion valve, which lowers the pressure of the refrigerant gas as it moves from the condenser coil, creates brief a hissing that lasts only a few seconds. If you hear periodic hissing and don’t notice other signs of problems with the AC (a drop in cooling capacity, ice along the evaporator coil) it’s usually nothing to worry about.

Sustained hissing sounds

This, however, is something to worry about. There are a number of different causes for continuous hissing noises coming from an air conditioner. The most common is that holes have opened along the copper refrigerant line, allowing the high pressure refrigerant gas to leak out. Loss of refrigerant will not only lower the cooling power of the AC, it can cause damage elsewhere to the system as the pressure levels decline. The leak could also be in the compressor valve, which is designed to control the pressure levels of the refrigerant.

Worst of all is when the hissing sound is due to a malfunction in the compressor itself: the pressure levels inside it are rising too high. Permanent damage to the compressor is one of the most expensive repairs that an air conditioner may need, so get on the phone right away to have professionals look into the problem and prevent it from getting worse.

Need air conditioning repairs? Call Red Rock Mechanical LLC in Burlington, VT.

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Is It Too Late to Bother with Heating Repairs?

Monday, April 18th, 2016

It’s spring, and summer is around the corner… but we’re still experiencing cold days here in Plattsburgh and Northwest Vermont. April is never a sure thing when it comes to weather, and you probably know that if you’ve lived here for a year or more. And that means you may still need your heater for a few more weeks before you shift over to the warmer part of the year.

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Is a Heat Pump the Right Choice for Your Home?

Monday, April 11th, 2016

Though spring is upon us, temperatures are still relatively cool, and you may still be using your heater. Hopefully your heating system has treated you well this season. If you’ve found yourself needing a replacement system however, now could be the best time to shop. Springtime is a great time to purchase a system that can fulfill both your heating and cooling needs, when you aren’t in dire need of either system. A heat pump will fulfill these needs. Is it right for your home though?

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Here Are AC Troubles That Maintenance Helps Avoid

Monday, April 4th, 2016

For any quality HVAC contractor, spring is the season of air conditioning maintenance. It’s certainly the time when everyone here at Red Rock Mechanical recommends our customers schedule their annual inspection and tune-up to get their cooling systems prepped for the hot weather ahead.

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