Three Common Air Handler Problems
The air handler is the part of your air conditioner (AC) that is responsible for distributing air throughout the house. It contains the heating and cooling elements, filters, dampers, and blower. The air handler is, arguably, the most important part of the AC. A malfunction in the air handler will affect the distribution of air in the house; here are three common malfunctions that afflict this part of the AC:
Damaged Fan Belt
Air can only circulate in your house if it is being pushed by the fan. At the same time, something must move this fan for it to turn and push the air. This "something" that turns the fan is the fan belt, which gets its rotating movement from the motor. Therefore, if the fan belt is damaged and doesn't turn, the fan won't turn too, and the air won't circulate in your house even if the other parts of the AC are working as usual.
The fan belt is made from rubber, which degrades and wears out after some time. the fan belt usually starts to squeal and emit strange noises when it develops cracks. Therefore, change the belt when you start hearing those noises. Don't wait until the belt snaps to effect the change since it may damage other parts of the AC when it snaps.
Blower Motor Failure
The blower motor is responsible for turning the belt that in turn causes the fan to rotate. Therefore, the fan will not move if the blower motor has failed. In such a case, your AC will be always on, but it won't cool the house at all. Therefore, this is one of the things to suspect if the AC is running but your house isn't getting any cooler.
There are many issues that can cause blower motor failure. Examples include a capacitor, relay, and control board failure. In fact, since the blower motor is an electromechanical component, any electrical failure can affect it.
Air Obstructions
As you know by now, the main function of the air handler unit is to circulate the air throughout the house. This means anything that any obstruction that interferes with air circulation also interferes with the air handler's operation. A common cause of obstruction is clogged air filters, which occurs when you take too long before cleaning or replacing your air filters. Signs of clogging include unpleasant odors from the AC, reduced air flow in the vents, and reduced indoor comfort, among others.
Luckily, none of these things means you need to replace your AC. A technician, like one from CNR Air Conditioning Inc, can easily diagnose the issue and fix or replace the malfunctioning part of the air handler.