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Why an AC Might Kick on Hard

Your air conditioner works on cycles. Once the temperature in your home gets too high, your thermostat signals for your air conditioner to kick back on and begin cooling your home again. But sometimes your air conditioner may turn on hard enough that it makes a loud sound. This can be very concerning and always deserves immediate attention.

If your air conditioner kicks on hard, you can give our team a call to schedule a service appointment. After all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. We can check out your unit and make sure that nothing is wrong. You can also keep reading to learn more about reasons that your AC might turn on hard, and when you should be concerned.

Capacitor Problems

Your air conditioner has two capacitors. The first capacitor is what starts your air conditioner for a cycle. The second capacitor is what takes over and runs during a cooling cycle. As you can probably guess, it is the starting capacitor that can contribute to your air conditioner kicking on hard. 

If the capacitor is going bad, it may not have enough power to start the compressor for a cooling cycle. As a result, the AC may have a hard start that makes a loud noise when it first turns on. You may think that if your air conditioner is still operating to cool your home, it’s not a big deal. You may even be tempted to ignore the problem if you only hear at once or infrequently. 

However, it is a problem that will not resolve on its own. Allowing it to continue will only make the problem worse. Eventually your air conditioner will stop turning on and then you will have to replace the entire capacitor instead of potentially just making repairs to it.

Lack of Lubrication 

But sometimes your capacitor isn’t the problem. Your compressor is what operates to run a cooling cycle. If your compressor doesn’t have enough lubrication, it may produce a hard start. This is the result of components not being able to work together smoothly. Fortunately, it’s an easy fix as long as you address the problem early. 

It is completely normal for your air conditioner to lose some of its lubrication as time goes on. Lubrication can dry up and dust and dirt can get into those crevices and make the problem worse. Our team can clean out the inside of your compressor, re-lubricate it and get it working great again. However, if you ignore the problem and let it continue, you may be left having to replace your compressor instead of repairing it.

Your comfort is our business! Comfort Flow Heating serves all of Oregon, so contact our team today to schedule your appointment.

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