When your air conditioner begins to develop problems maintaining or cooling the home, a number of problems can occur. Trying to determine the cause can be a major headache. It helps to break down the symptoms to better know where to look. One component can be particularly difficult to troubleshoot and that is the air conditioner temperature sensor. Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning will go over some of the symptoms and help troubleshoot a failing temperature sensor.
How Do Air Conditioner Temperature Sensors Work?
A thermostat’s temperature sensor is not part of the actual thermostat but is located near the evaporator coils. As the air inside the home is sucked up through the return vent, the air passes over the sensor, followed by the coils. As the air passes the sensor it will read the temperature. If the temperature is higher than the temperature set on the thermostat, it will trigger another cooling cycle. If the sensor isn’t working then the thermostat will never know when or if to trigger a cooling cycle. For many people when their home becomes increasingly warmer they often assume the worst. They may think the entire air conditioner has died and that a replacement air conditioner will be needed. However, this may not be the case. When the temperature sensor fails or is about to fail, it will develop certain symptoms. One of the earlier warning signs your temperature setting is going out is when a cycle will trigger randomly and sometime during the middle of an already activated cooling cycle. The home may even become too cold as a result. When your air conditioner acts rather erratic, you will need to have the temperature sensor inspected or replaced.
How Do I Fix a Bad AC Temperature Sensor?
To help get by until an HVAC service can come and look at your air conditioner, there are a few things you can try yourself. First, turn off the air conditioner, then shut off all power supply to the HVAC system. The easiest way is to switch off the breaker in the electrical panel that supplies the air conditioner. Next, the indoor unit that usually is installed in the attic, go to the unit and if you’re comfortable, remove the evaporator coil’s panel. Inspect the sensor as sometimes the sensor can get bent out of place. The sensor should be close but not making contact with the coils. If the sensor is too far away or contacting the coils this is the source of the problem. Adjust its position to the proper place. If you cannot determine if the sensor is misplaced, then seek professional HVAC services. It is possible that the sensor may need to be replaced.
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An erratic air conditioner is a common sign that there is a problem with the sensor. However, an air conditioner has a couple of different sensors and it can be hard to figure out which one is the culprit. It is always safer and better to seek out professional an HVAC service to troubleshoot and repair the problem. For HVAC repair, installations, and much more, contact Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning today.