Your home’s outdoor air conditioning condenser should have been leveled when it was first installed, either by the initial building contractor or by a nearby HVAC professional.
The pad under your air conditioner may occasionally fall out of level when the earth surrounding your home settles and becomes uneven. Air conditioners must be placed on flat ground to operate at their peak efficiency.
AC equipment may fail or wear out earlier than expected if the ground underneath them moves or tilts more than a few degrees. Get in touch with a professional for AC repair in Murrieta, CA.
How Important Is A Level AC Unit?
- A condenser for an air conditioner that isn’t level places extra strain on the system. The fan motor spins at high speeds, and operating it at a tile can destroy a tilted motor.
- When it is level, oil and refrigerant may flow through the tubing and provide the right lubrication for the whole machine. The oil and refrigerant may get stuck in some areas of the tubing when the unit isn’t level, preventing the AC equipment from properly being maintained.
- When the AC unit is out of level, vibration is another factor that puts stress on it. The air conditioner will vibrate if it is not on level ground. Every moving part is stressed because the system is out of balance, which causes a persistent unwelcome vibration.
- Numerous components, many rather heavy, are housed inside the condenser of the air conditioner unit. Due to the copper coil that runs down one or more of the AC unit’s sides, a condenser can weigh as much as several hundred pounds.
- If the AC unit isn’t level, the unequal weight might cause the unit to sink into the ground since the coil weighs more than the other side of the unit. The device might overturn or rip away from the coolant line entering your house.
- The refrigerant that circulates throughout the system and then returns to the condenser pump contains some oil. The condenser’s oil might separate from the coolant and collect in one spot. When that occurs, the pump loses the lubrication it needs to operate, leading to an early failure. Contact a professional for AC service in Murrieta, CA.
How To Verify Whether Your Air Conditioner Is Level?
You may start by just visually inspecting the air conditioner. Does the concrete pad in front of the unit appear stable, or does it slope and have cracks? If your air conditioner has legs, ensure they are stable by inspecting them for corrosion and bends.
Without a leveling instrument, it isn’t easy to check that the AC equipment is level. A cheap carpenter’s bubble level is readily available at your neighborhood big-box retailer. A few degrees off level for the outside AC unit is acceptable, but any more is asking for trouble.
Generally speaking, the bubble should lie between the level tool’s two guidelines. Your unit is level enough if that is the case. You should level the unit’s top in all directions, and if it has a vertical side, you should also verify the level there.
Should You Work With Experts?
We advise against attempting to level the outside unit by yourself. You run the danger of bending the coolant lines, creating a leak, and letting refrigerant escape into the atmosphere if you try to move or level the AC unit yourself.
Any amount of kink in the copper tubing might have disastrous effects on your AC system. It’s best to allow the professionals for AC replacement in Murrieta, CA, at Millar Heating & Air to get your air conditioning unit level again.
