Excellent HVAC Service / Maintenance in Hot Springs, Benton, Bryant & More in Central, Arkansas

Regular HVAC Maintenance

Routine, preventative maintenance for your HVAC system can increase the value and longevity of the system and allows room to identify conflicts in your system before they become a problem. We recommend servicing heat pump systems with electric heat at least once per year – in the springtime, and air conditioning systems with gas heat twice per year ­– once in the spring and once in the fall. This is because on a heat pump system, the indoor and outdoor parts work together year-round to produce your indoor comfort, whereas in the case of the air conditioner with a gas furnace, the indoor and outdoor parts work independently of each other in the cooling and heating seasons.

A tip from the pros: Always remember to change your filter monthly and never run your system without a filter present.

Identifying & Fixing a Problem in your Air Conditioning System

Your A/C system is a complex piece of machinery that, when it is working well, can fill your home with cool, comfortable air. When it malfunctions, however, the challenge is to find which part of the complex and intricate machinery is the root cause of the problem.



Diagnosing the issue demands a trained and experienced air conditioning professional. The service experts at Bennings Heating & Air are just the right technicians for the job.

Common Causes for a Malfunctioning Air Conditioner Unit

Many factors could cause your A/C to malfunction. Some of the more common ones include:

A lack of refrigerant in the system: Insufficient refrigerant will force the system to work harder to generate cold air. Air conditioning systems do not consume or burn refrigerant, therefore, if the level is low, it is either the result of a leak or having been insufficiently filled at the time of installation. When the refrigerant is low it can cause the evaporator coils on the inside unit to freeze over and impede the system's ability to function. If you notice ice on your indoor coils, make sure to turn your system completely off to let it thaw. If the coils are frozen solid when your service technician arrives, there is no way to perform the services necessary.

Grime and dirt on the condenser coil: Dust, dirt and grime can accumulate and get caked onto your air conditioner’s condenser coil. When the condenser coil is covered by a layer of dirt, it becomes more difficult for the refrigerant inside the coil to condense back to its liquid form, making the system far less effective. Routine preventative maintenance and chemical cleaning of the condenser coil by a trained professional is a great way to avoid this happening.

Clogged condensate drain line: When warm air meets the cold evaporator coils, condensation naturally occurs. The accumulated water is collected into a drip pan to be drained away from the system. If that drain line becomes blocked, your system may malfunction depending on how the system is installed into the drain system, it will kill the power to your thermostat and shut down your system. It's designed this way to avoid overflowing and water damage. This situation may manifest as a blank thermostat. If no kill switch is installed into your system, talk to an HVAC service provider about installing one. Keep bleach tablets in your system's drain pan or pour bleach into the port of the condensate drain line to keep the drain line clear and operational.

Faulty sensors or electrical controls: The compressor and fan in the air conditioning system depend upon the flow of electrical current to work. If a faulty electrical control interrupts the flow of power, the air conditioning system will no longer function properly. The system also relies on the sensors inside the thermostat to tell it when to turn on and when to shut off. A malfunctioning thermostat sensor could cause the air conditioning system to constantly remain on or never come on at all.