When it’s scorching outside, you count on your air conditioner to keep things comfortable inside. But is your air conditioner taking a long time to cool down the house? This is familiar on sweltering days, which squeeze your air conditioner harder than usual. However, if it’s not particularly hot outside and your air conditioning is still struggling, your cooling equipment might have a problem. Use these tips to help you troubleshoot the problem.
Dirty Air Filter
A clogged filter is the most likely reason an air conditioner takes too long to cool down the house. The function of a filter is to snare airborne pollutants that could damage sensitive HVAC equipment. More effective filters even trap very small airborne allergens to enhance indoor air quality.
Eventually, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, restricting circulation. Besides making the AC unit take longer to cool down the house, this problem can also result in higher energy bills, higher wear and tear, and overheating.
Solution: Check your air filter every month and replace it if it looks dirty. Don't wait past three months to change the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re unsure where an air filter is located, ask your HVAC technician at your next service appointment.
Improper Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat needs to be compatible with your AC system to run properly. Then, you have to set it correctly to reach a nice temperature. Employing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat offers the best results.
Solution: If you want to update your thermostat, require help learning about programmable features, or don’t feel comfortable programming a thermostat on your own, get in touch with an HVAC technician at All American Air Service Experts for help.
Dirty Evaporator Coil
Split-system air conditioners have an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes the evaporator coil, which absorbs heat from the air using refrigerant. It’s challenging for the refrigerant to soak up heat efficiently if the evaporator coil is grimy, making it take more time to cool your house.
Solution: Get in touch with our HVAC specialists to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An important part of this maintenance includes removing dust and grime from the evaporator coil to improve cooling efficiency.
Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit
Your AC system's cooling cycle will require moving hot refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it exhausts heat to the exterior. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or surrounded by encroaching plants, the cooling cycle may be less efficient.
Solution: Gently clean the outdoor unit to remove dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, cut back bushes to a minimum of 12 inches from the unit to enhance circulation.
Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is an essential tool to a cool home. Normally, this substance moves in a closed loop back and forth between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your cooling loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and dissipating heat from your home.
Solution: Only a qualified technician can mend refrigerant leaks and refresh the system. If you believe your AC is struggling with this problem, call our HVAC professionals for help at once.
Leaky Ductwork
Air ducts are the highways of your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side could make your air conditioner run harder and longer to cool your home.
Solution: If you are dealing with inconsistent temperatures and excessive dust in the house, get in touch with All American Air Service Experts to take a look at your ventilation. Duct sealing or replacement can take care of the problem.
Dirty or Blocked Air Vents
Cooled air can only circulate around your home if the air vents are open and clear. Shutting too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, contributing to increased breakdowns and repair costs.
Solution: Inspect the vents in each room, seeing to it that they’re open and unblocked by furniture, carpeting or curtains.
Old or Inadequately Sized Air Conditioner
Did you set up your air conditioner more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it gets older, the system becomes less effective and might struggle to maintain comfortable temperatures. Furthermore, have you recently completed a home extension or made other changes? This could lead to an undersized air conditioner that can’t keep up with demand.
Solution: The only solution for an outdated or undersized air conditioner is to exchange it. Count on our certified HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.
Schedule AC Repair with All American Air Service Experts
If your troubleshooting attempts prove ineffective, feel free to call in the HVAC experts at All American Air Service Experts. We deliver fast, effective services to get your HVAC system back up and running as quickly as possible. You can count on the fact that our technicians practice the highest standards of care to ensure your long-term comfort. Contact us to arrange air conditioning repair or any other HVAC services today.