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Why Your A/C Is NOT Cooling Your Home



The days of summer have kicked in.  The temps steadily increase until the sun makes everything feel a sweltering, blistering heat.  When these days occur, it’s wonderful to stay indoors and enjoy the cool air but what happens when your home becomes just as stifling?
Your air conditioner may be running non-stop but your thermostat is pushing 85 degrees or the unit seems to be throwing out nothing but luke warm air.  In these instances there is definitely something wrong but some of it can be fixed by you and others by your trusted HVAC professional.
What You Can Help Fix
Thermostat Setting – Set your thermostat to AUTO.  If your A/C is alternating between blowing out cool air and lukewarm air, your fan setting is probably ON.  This means it will run 24/7, even when the air in your home isn’t being cooled.
Dirty, Dirty, Dirty– If your air filter is dirty, it can suffocate your air conditioner and restrict proper airflow into the unit.  Less airflow means it takes a LOOOONG time for your unit to perform at all.  Dirty air filters can also cause your evaporator coil (the thing that actually cools the air) to turn into a block of ice that blocks air flow.  Blocked airflow allows very little cool air at all inside your home, which is usually why you set the thermostat to 72 degrees but it doesn’t get below 82 degrees.
Your inside air conditioning unit absorbs heat from the air and then kicks it to your outside air conditioning unit to get rid of.  If your outside a/c unit is dirty or clogged with leaves and other debris, it can’t get rid of that heat.  This puts a severe strain on your unit and doesn’t allow it to cool your home correctly.   Clean out leaves or other debris from your outside unit.  You can even spray it with a gentle spritz from your hose.
Closed or Blocked Vents – Closing or blocking air vents in various or even unused rooms is a big no-no.  This actually suffocates your air conditioner.  It is trying to blow the cool air out of those vents but, if it can’t, pressure is increased inside of the ducts.  This causes the blower to consistently run but at a MUCH lower speed so now you have little air coming out of your air vents to actually cool your home.
Drafts and Leaks – Sometimes the problem is that you simply have drafts, or leaks, in your home. There might not be a good enough seal around doors, windows, vents, pipes coming in from the outdoors or even electrical outlets.  This can pull hot air right into your home.  You can purchase weatherstripping or foam insulation solutions to seal around leaky items.
air conditioning problems - Why Your A/C Is NOT Cooling Your Home
What Your HVAC Tech Should Fix
Low Refrigerant – Refrigerant, like Freon, does not need to be “topped off” like windshield washer fluid or anti-freeze in your car.  It is in a closed system and continuously recycles itself.  If you are running low on refrigerant it is because you have a leak somewhere in the system and it is escaping.  This is something only a licensed HVAC technician should address.
How will you know if you have a leak?
  • Your A/C does not cool your home on hot days but works fine on cooler days or at night.
  • You hear a bubbling or hissing noise coming from your unit.
  • There is some ice building up on either the refrigerant line itself or on the outside unit.
You should NEVER continue to run your A/C when you notice a refrigerant leak otherwise you can do irreparable damage to your entire system.  Turn if off and notify your local HVAC company immediately.
Broken Hearts – The compressor is the key component, or heart, of your air conditioning system.  It moves the refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units so if it is broke or damaged, it can’t cool the air.  Compressors are pretty pricey so consider getting a warranty when you move into a new place or purchase a new unit.
A condenser fan motor is another important element of your system.  It powers the fan that actually pushes the hot air out of your home.  If this is faulty, it can’t do its job, which means no cool air indoors.
Leaky Air Ducts – It IS possible that there might be a leak in your ductwork.  The ducts carry cool air around your home and a leak can have that air escaping and cooling parts of your home that is shouldn’t, like your attic or crawl space.  An HVAC tech can run tests to see if you do have a leak in your ducts so you can get that issue addressed quickly.
Just Too Small – Sometimes the problem is that your air conditioner is too small for the size of your home.  A smaller unit can’t remove heat faster than it is coming in so it isn’t cooling your home.  This is an issue that stems from installation.  Whomever put the unit in didn’t calculate the right size air conditioning unit for your home.  If you’ve recently remodeled and added rooms, you might just need a bigger capacity unit.
If you’ve tried to fix the problem on your own but it still persists, have your HVAC company come out and test the unit to make sure it isn’t something more sinister.  By addressing the issue when you first notice it, you can stop it from becoming an expensive or complex problem down the line.
Check This Out For Tips On How To Reduce Cooling Costs This Summer!
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If You Need Assistance With Your Summer Check Up,  Contact Us Today.
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Location: Chicago Ridge, IL, USA

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