Learning All About Oil Furnace Maintenance and Repairs

4 Air Conditioning Repairs That Could Be Necessary Due To Mouse Damage

Mice don't need a very big opening to get inside your air conditioner. A tiny mouse can get inside your condenser outside or the air handler that's indoors. When a mouse gets in the equipment, it can cause damage that leads to a breakdown. Damage might be from gnawing on parts, urinating on wiring, or building a nesting area in the unit that causes wires to come loose or interferes with other parts. Here are four air conditioning repairs that could be needed due to mice getting in your equipment.

1. Replace Wiring

Mice chew and gnaw on just about anything. They can gnaw the insulation off of wiring and leave the wires exposed. This might cause a fire hazard or cause components to fail so your AC won't start. When mice have ruined the wiring in the condenser or air handler, the air conditioning repair technician needs to repair or replace the wiring so it's safe and so all the parts get power as they should.

2. Clean Out Nests

Mice also like to collect things and build nests. The nests can clog up airflow in your system. The materials might clog up the blower fan so cool air can't spread through your home. If mice live in the nests, they may urinate in the area and their urine might harm parts like the capacitor or contactor. An air conditioning repair service can clean out the nests to restore airflow and check parts that were damaged by the mice so the parts can be replaced.

3. Repair Holes In Ducts

Most of your HVAC is made from metal so it has some protection from gnawing mice. However, if you have flexible ducts rather than metal, the ducts may be susceptible to rodent damage. A mouse might chew through a duct and allow cool air to flow out of your system before it reaches your living space. An air conditioning repair technician can patch up rodent holes or replace a duct when needed so air circulates through your home as it should.

4. Repair Thermostat Damage

Your thermostat connects to the air handler with wiring that runs behind the walls of your home. Mice tend to hide out between the walls. If they start living where the thermostat wiring is located, they could pull the wiring loose, break it, or gnaw on it. This could cause your thermostat to become erratic. The air conditioning repair technician can test the thermostat to see if it's malfunctioning.

They can follow the wiring from the thermostat to the control board in the air handler to see where power was lost. A broken or loose wire can keep the thermostat from working so the technician may need to tighten wires or replace them to get your AC working again.

Contact an air conditioning repair service near you to learn more.