Your AC Unit Might Be Sinking (and why it could be a big deal)
You can’t believe what you’re seeing.
You were just doing some weekend gardening. You know, mowing the lawn, pulling some weeds, doing some edging- the usual.
You make your way over to your AC unit and you see some weeds covering the side, so you cut them down and pull them out.
Now you’re just confused… You ask yourself “Is the AC Unit tilted? I thought it was level..”
You clear the area with your weed wacker to get a better view, and you realize that it is slanted… like a lot.
You’re usually not one to obsess over details…
(except for when you see that one crooked family photo on your living room wall)
But this seems INCHES lower on one side.
So What Do You Do If Your AC Unit is Sinking into ground?
Well first of all just realize that this is pretty normal- a heavy concrete pad on soft dirt is bound to sink over time.
But you don’t need to get all worked up about it sinking- if your AC unit is still level, then you’re usually good to go. There are times when sinking can cause water damage, decreased AC performance, and even broken pipes.
So here are the 3 signs that you need to give us a call.
#1 If your AC unit isn’t level. This will cause problems because oil and refrigerant won’t be able to move through the pipes like they’re designed to. We don’t want to add any stress to your system.
#2 If your AC unit starts to form a large puddle around it. Small puddles around your outside AC unit are common because of condensation. What you need to watch out for is if the sinking concrete pad turns into a bowl for irrigation water to collect in.
#3 If you see any strain on the coolant tubes and electrical lines. Sometimes the AC unit will sink so much that it starts pulling on the copper coolant tubes or even the electrical wiring. These tubes and wires weren’t made to support your AC unit, so be sure to give us a call ASAP if you see this.
Above all, just remember to take an extra 7 seconds after gardening to peek at your AC unit because these signs are all things you can see instantly.
Hope this Helps,
Your Western Heating and Air Family
(801) 224-8899