The full brunt of summer is upon us, and that means drivers across the country are cranking up their air conditioning the moment they get behind the wheel. Cold AC is one of the biggest perks of any vehicle, but it certainly has that "you won't miss it until it's gone" quality. With that in mind, you should be on the lookout for signs that there are some AC problems lurking behind your dash, so you don't get caught in 90 degree heat with no relief in sight. To shed some light on the problems that are worthy of a trip to your preferred auto repair shop, here are five common AC warning signs: "A lack of AC can mean one of several problems." 1. No air conditioning The first warning sign is the most obvious: no AC. If you turn on your car, turn up the air and get a whole lot of nothing out of the vents – or warm or hot air – you could have a problem with your HVAC system. This could be one of several issues. First, you may just be out of refrigerant. Or, you could have damaged cooling fans or even something simpler, like vents or an AC unit clogged with leaves or other debris.

Thankfully, a trip to the auto repair shop can quickly diagnose the problem. Behind non-functioning air conditioning, the next easiest warning sign to spot is weird noises. Say you turn on your AC, but you start to hear banging, rattling or worse? What could the problem be? Like with the first problem, leaves or debris could be clogging up your unit, causing those noises. Or, a major part itself could be worn out and about to break. Once you start to hear some weird noises coming from your car, bring it in to a professional for a diagnosis. Third on the list is nasty smells. Turning on your AC shouldn't be an unpleasant experience, but sometimes, foul odors start to come out of your vents. This could be a big warning sign of mold growth in your air conditioning unit itself. A bad smell should be taken care of immediately, since mold can lead to respiratory problems and other health concerns. Air conditioning is a major plus during the summer months. After running your air conditioning for a while, you will see water drain out from the bottom of your car.

This is perfectly normal and a good sign. cost of installing new ac unitHowever, if you don't see that water draining – and instead are greeted by water stains inside your vehicle – then you could have a problem. car a/c repair couponsSometimes, the drain on the bottom of your car becomes damaged or clogged, so that water backs up. how big of ac unitIt will then flow into your vehicle itself, typically pooling under the dash and near the front floor mats. If this is the case, bring it in to your repair shop soon. The fifth and final warning sign is the air conditioning leak. Low pressure in your AC unit can be a sign of a leak, as can the actual coolant draining around your vehicle. Even so, most leaks are small and hard to spot. The smartest bet is to add a dye to your air conditioner, and then trace that dye to the source of the leak.

This is easiest when completed by a professional, however, so if you suspect a leak, come in for some auto air conditioning repair work as soon as possible. Leaks can lead to other, more serious problems down the line. These are just five common warning signs of air conditioner problems. There are others, though, and should you have any questions or concerns the best course of action is to always consult a professional. Car Care Tips Vehicle MaintenanceAll room air conditioners drip — or at least they should. But drips in the wrong place or the wrong volume of dripping water may be a sign of a problem with the air conditioner.Why Air Conditioners DripAs the name suggests, air conditioners do more than simply cool the air. The air conditioner's cooling coil or evaporator absorbs moisture from the room. How Much Air Conditioners DripThe volume of dripping condensation from an air conditioner varies widely depending on humidity levels and temperature, as well as several details regarding the size, efficiency and installation of the air conditioner.

Where Air Conditioners DripThe condensed water should leak from the back of the air conditioner unit whenever the unit is running. If it is dripping from locations other than the back of the unit, you may have a problem.Troubleshooting Dripping Air ConditionersPerhaps the most common problem with air conditioner condensation is water dripping out the front of the unit, caused by installation errors. If the air conditioner is not properly sealed in place, hot outside air could turn into dripping condensation when it hits the cool air conditioning surface s. A couple months ago I detailed the travels of Harold the Helicopter’s journey to the bottom of our guest bathroom toilet, and the subsequent DIY plumbing project I undertook to rescue him. It wasn’t exactly a fun project, but I did learn more than I ever wanted to know about the anatomy of a residential commode, and I saved a ton of money I would have had to find a plumber for the effort. When a suspicious drip formed above our back door I knew it was again time to channel my “Tim the Toolman” skills and get to the bottom of it, without searching Angie’s List for an air conditioner repairman.  

I soon found myself in the attic staring at a nearly-overflowing air conditioner drain pan. If you have a portable air conditioner then you probably will not have to worry about this drainage issue, but if you have central air then take note. I suspected a problem with the air conditioner drain since when the drip started it had not rained in a few days. I checked the main air conditioner drain pipe which comes out of the side or our home and noticed it was draining, but not with as much volume as it typically did. In fact, a small puddle had formed in the past and I added a piece of 1″ PVC pipe to extend the drain away from our foundation. I accessed our attic via the garage and found the air conditioner’s main evaporator unit. The pan underneath the unit was nearly full of water, which I knew was a problem. The source of the drip was a secondary drain pipe connected near the top of the pan and running to the back of our house with an exit just above our back door. I was thankful the builder and air conditioner installer put the secondary drain’s exit in a high-visibility spot so homeowners would know there was a problem.

I’d been wanting to pick up a small, inexpensive wet/dry vac for small garage spills, and fortunately a local home improvement store had one on sale. I picked up a Stinger-Vac (just a mini Shop Vac) for under $30 and returned home to put it to use. Lucky for me, the Stinger’s hose attached perfectly to the 1″ PVC drain pipe and began to immediately suck out water and sludge that had accumulated inside the pipe. As it filled I simply dumped the water in our yard, reattached the vacuum and started it up again. After a few cycles I assumed I had made a dent in the amount of water from the pan and returned to the attic to view my progress. This time I carried a container of household bleach with me. If I had taken this step earlier in the spring I could have probably avoided this near-disaster, but better late than never. I accessed the air conditioner’s drain by removing a PVC cap on the top of drain pipe by hand. If the pipe was properly installed, this cap should only be tightened by hand and can easily be removed and replaced without any tools.