A rusty air conditioner may not seem like that big of an issue. Especially if you think that an air conditioner will not start to rust until it is getting to the end of its life anyway. Sometimes though, rust can become a problem for your air conditioner after even just a few years. High humidity and the presence of corrosive particles in the air can increase rusting and leave you with heating & air conditioning issues in no time. Therefore, it is important to learn how to prevent, diagnose, and resolve a rusty air conditioner, especially if you live in a humid area.
If you have concern about a rusty air conditioning unit in your home, give our heating & air conditioning company a call. In St. Louis and the surrounding areas, we will be happy to send a service professional over to help right away!
Dangers of a Rusty Air Conditioner
Rust can be a problem even if your air conditioner is under warranty because it means the unit has been exposed to humid or wet conditions that it wasn’t expected to withstand. This can possibly void your warranty and make repairing a rusty air conditioner a lot more expensive and difficult. However, in most cases a rusty air conditioner may not need too much work. If the rust is just on the outside of the unit and does not seem to be affecting parts inside, then you may be okay just living with a rusty air conditioner or doing some light rust removal.
One area where you want to make sure you are checking for rust is on the condenser coil inside your air conditioner. If you end up with rusty air conditioner coils, this can interfere with AC function and will eventually cause a full shutdown of your air conditioner. This is a case in which a rusty air conditioner can be dangerous if left alone. It can cause costly damage to the rest of your unit and should be addressed as soon as possible.
Removing and Preventing Rust
You can see why it is important to make rust removal and prevention a part of your fall maintenance checklist for your HVAC system. Removing rust from most components is pretty easy in the early stages. You can clean a rusty air conditioner with a degreasing solution, sandpaper, and a nylon brush. Once the rust is removed, repaint with a rustproof primer to preserve your work and prevent more rust.
For a completely rusty air conditioner or one that is starting to show signs of deterioration, it is probably best to have your AC maintenance team remove the rust. Your service team will be able to turn most rusty air conditioners back into functional machines. However, if the rust has gotten too bad, a service professional might suggest replacing some components entirely, or even the whole unit depending on the extent of the damage.
Learn More About Servicing Rusty Air Conditioners
Our team can also help prevent rust from developing with regular cleaning visits and by helping you adjust the level of humidity in your home. There is a lot you can do to minimize the impact of humidity on yourself and your heating & air conditioning system, which will also help prevent a rust on your air conditioner. To learn more about managing humidity, get in touch with the professionals at Galmiche & Sons today. We have proudly served the St. Louis area for many years, and look forward to serving you, too!
