During the summer, your air conditioner runs continuously. Gradually, it becomes less effective cooling your home. Since it can happen over days or weeks, it might not be noticeable. Then one day, you return home looking forward to cooling off. Yikes! You don’t feel much cooler inside than you did outside.
You’re wondering why your AC is not cooling and how you can fix the problems. Here is a list of potential causes of issues with your air conditioner. Call a professional HVAC expert if you are not sure how to perform a repair.
Clogged Air Filter
The air filters in your home’s HVAC system trap contaminants from the air before they enter your home. These particles along with the dust and dirt can clog your air filters, which obstructs the flow of air. When the air flow is restricted, your HVAC unit cannot cool your home.
Remove the clogged filters and replace them with new ones. Check with your HVAC technician on how often you should change your filters. You want to remove them before they are ineffective.
Thermostat Settings
If your air conditioner is not cooling your home as you expect it to, check the settings of your thermostat. Be sure that it is set to the ‘cooling’ position. To test your thermostat, set the temperature to one that is lower than the current room temperature. If it still does not turn on, remove and replace the batteries.
If you have a programmable thermostat, check its settings. There may be an error in the time of day or day of week or the temperature that has been programmed in.
Circuit Breaker
Many homes have a separate circuit breaker for their heating and cooling systems. Make sure that your circuit breaker is on and that all the switches are set to the correct settings.
Blocked Vents
Similar to the issues caused by clogged or blocked air filters, the vents of your air conditioner must be unobstructed. Check all the vents in your home. Remove anything that is restricting the flow of air. Next, check each vent to be sure that it is in the open position.
Now, go to your outside air conditioning unit. Prune any plants that have grown too close to it over the summer months. Remove any grass clippings or other debris that may have accumulated.
Check your Disconnect Box
While you are outside, check the disconnect box. This safety feature lets you or an HVAC technician shut off the power to the unit, so the unit can be serviced. Make sure that the power is turned on. If the power has been shut on, flip the switch to on. Look around at the wires to be sure that they are not frayed.
Condenser Coil
Remain outside. Now, you’ll look into the outside unit. In that unit, there is a coil that is wrapped around the air conditioner’s condenser. The refrigerant needs to pass through the condenser coil. This removes the heat from your home and releases it to the outside. Over time, dirt and debris can gather on the coil. This limits the effectiveness of your air conditioner. The coil needs to be cleaned to work properly.
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