When it’s sizzling outside, you depend on your cooling to keep things cool inside. But is your AC taking forever to cool down the house? This is typical on sweltering days, which squeeze your air conditioner harder than normal. However, if it’s not very hot outside and your AC is still having a tough time, your cooling equipment could have a problem. Follow these tips to help you troubleshoot the matter.
Dirty Air Filter
A clogged filter is the most frequent reason an AC system needs too much time to cool down the house. The purpose of a filter is to capture airborne contaminants that could harm sensitive HVAC equipment. More efficient filters even capture very small airborne contaminants to enhance indoor air quality.
As time passes, the filter becomes blocked up with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, limiting airflow. Besides making your air conditioning system take longer to cool down the house, this problem can also result in more expensive energy bills, additional wear and tear, and overheating.
Solution: Check your air filter once a month and exchange it if it appears dirty. Don't wait longer than three months to replace the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re uncertain where the air filter is located, check with your HVAC technician at your next service appointment.
Improper Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat must be compatible with your AC system to work effectively. Then, you have to set it correctly to sustain a comfortable temperature. Installing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat produces the best results.
Solution: If you want to update your thermostat, require help learning about programmable options, or don’t feel comfortable programming a thermostat yourself, call an HVAC technician at Robinson Service Experts for assistance.
Dirty Evaporator Coil
Split-system air conditioners come with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes the evaporator coil, which collects heat from the air using refrigerant. It’s hard for the refrigerant to hold onto heat efficiently if the evaporator coil is grimy, making it take longer to cool down the house.
Solution: Contact our HVAC professionals to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An important part of this visit involves cleaning out debris and grime from the evaporator coil to improve cooling performance.
Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit
The cooling cycle involves sending heated refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it expels heat to the exterior. Unfortunately, if the outdoor unit is dirty or surrounded by encroaching vegetation, the cooling cycle might be less effective.
Solution: Lightly clean the outdoor unit to get rid of dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, prune back bushes to a minimum of 12 inches from the unit to improve circulation.
Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is the secret to effective cooling. Normally, this substance moves in a closed loop among the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak occurs and your cooling loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and dissipating heat from your home.
Solution: Only a licensed technician can fix refrigerant leaks and refresh the system. If you think you're dealing with this problem, call our HVAC professionals for help straight away.
Leaky Ductwork
Air ducts are the highways of your HVAC system. A leak from either the return or supply side can make your air conditioner perform harder and longer maintain comfortable temperatures.
Solution: If you are dealing with irregular temperatures and excessive dust in the house, call Robinson Service Experts to examine your ductwork. Duct sealing or replacement can resolve the problem.
Dirty or Blocked Air Vents
Cool air can only circulate through your home when the air vents are open and free from any obstructions. Closing too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, leading to more breakdowns and repair costs.
Solution: Check the vents all through the house, seeing to it that they’re open and unblocked by furniture, carpets or curtains.
Outdated or Inadequately Sized Air Conditioner
Did you set up your air conditioner more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it gets older, the AC becomes less effective and might fail to maintain steady cooling. Additionally, have you recently finished a home extension or made other changes? This might result in an undersized air conditioner that can’t keep up with demand.
Solution: The only solution for an aging or undersized air conditioner is to exchange it. Count on our qualified HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.
Schedule AC Repair with Robinson Service Experts
If your troubleshooting efforts prove ineffective, don't hesitate to bring in the HVAC pros at Robinson Service Experts . We deliver fast, effective service to get your AC back up and running right away. Rest assured that our technicians stick to the highest standards of customer service to ensure your long-term peace of mind. Contact us to request air conditioning repair or additional HVAC services today.