Heating & Air
Air Conditioning Repair
In a Charleston summer, air conditioning is not a comfort system. It is a humidity system.
In a Charleston summer, air conditioning is not a comfort system. It is a humidity system.
Quick answer: For AC repair, describe whether the system will not start, runs without cooling, runs continuously or leaves the house humid so the fault can be assessed. Licensed mechanical subcontractors perform the HVAC work and pull their own required trade permits. Southeastern Renovation coordinates the project in the Charleston Lowcountry and York County, South Carolina. Call (843) 718-8177 to discuss the property and scope.
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That last one is specific to climates like this one and is frequently misdiagnosed. An air conditioner removes humidity by running long enough for moisture to condense on the coil. An oversized system cools the air quickly, satisfies the thermostat and shuts off before it has dehumidified — so the house is cold and damp at once. The fix is rarely more capacity.
The most common single fault we expect to find is a blocked condensate drain. In this climate a system pulls a remarkable volume of water out of the air, and the line that carries it away grows biological sludge. When it blocks, the safety switch shuts the system down — which is the system protecting your ceiling, not a failure.
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Usually an oversized system, or one cycling too short. Removing humidity requires sustained runtime for moisture to condense on the coil and drain away.
A system that satisfies the thermostat in a few minutes never reaches that point, so the air is chilled but not dried. Adding capacity generally makes it worse.
Most often a blocked condensate drain line. A system in this climate removes a great deal of water from the air, and the drain grows algae and sludge until it blocks.
A float switch then shuts the system down deliberately to stop the pan overflowing into the ceiling.
Once a year at minimum in this climate, and the condensate drain is the part that most repays attention.
Coils, drain, refrigerant charge and airflow are what determine whether the system dehumidifies properly through a Lowcountry August.