POTENTIAL CAUSES OF AN AC BLOWING WARM AIR
Sometimes our air conditioners may sound like they’re working, but you realize that your home just isn’t cooling down. You discover why when you get closer to one of your air vents: your air conditioner is blowing, but it is warm air. If you want to do some investigating before you call Hale’s Heating and Air, we have provided you some options.
There are several reasons why this problem can occur, so identifying why your AC is blowing warm air may require a process of elimination:
Clogged air filters of the air conditioner.
Your thermostat settings are incorrect.
The outdoor unit is too dirty or crowded.
There is low refrigerant or a refrigerant leak.
The condenser fan is broken or malfunctioning.
A malfunctioning or failing compressor.
1. CLOGGED AIR FILTERS
The air filter has an important role. It filters all sorts of dust and debris from air coming from the air conditioning unit. As it completes this vital task, it becomes filled with the filth it has cleared from the air which can negatively effect the proper airflow blowing through your system.
It is extremely important to keep up with routine maintenance and change the air filter regularly. A clogged air filter will lead to warm air and will hurt the energy efficiency of the entire unit. Neglecting this simple step will quickly cause you to assume that you have a broken AC in your home.
2. YOUR THERMOSTAT SETTINGS ARE INCORRECT
Incorrect thermostat settings can also lead to the air conditioner blowing warm air when you want cold air instead. Be sure to check your thermostat to ensure that it is on and set to the correct temperature. The ideal temperature to set on your thermostat would be within a 10-degree margin of the temperatures outside. This will help you stay comfortable and get the most out of the cooling cycle of the air conditioner.
3. THE OUTDOOR AC UNIT IS TOO DIRTY OR CROWDED
Your condenser unit is exposed to the elements. Because of this, it can become covered with dust, dead leaves, and other debris or become crowded with plants, vines, or even objects you have sat on or around your unit. When this happens, the condenser isn’t able to produce cold air effectively. A part of routine air conditioning maintenance is cleaning the outdoor unit of the air conditioning system. Remove unwanted debris and make sure your system has room to ‘breathe’.
CLEANING THE OUTDOOR AC UNIT
Turn your air conditioner off
Remove any weeds or shrubs, and trim back any bushes growing up against it.
Using a sponge or hose, clean away the debris that has built up on the unit.
Make sure that you use gentle water pressure with the hose when completing this step so that you do not damage the evaporator coils or other key components of the outdoor unit.
4. THERE IS LOW REFRIGERANT OR A REFRIGERANT LEAK
Your AC needs refrigerant in order to cool the air. Refrigerant does this by absorbing heat from the air. If you have a refrigerant leak, your AC unit may not contain enough refrigerant for this cooling process to work. You will need the assistance of a certified HVAC technician to resolve the leak.
SIGNS OF LOW REFRIGERANT
There are a few ways to tell that your air conditioning system has a refrigerant leak, including:
Frozen evaporator coils
There’s a hissing or bubbling sound when the AC turns on.
Your AC can’t keep your home cool during hot days but can keep it cool at night or on cooler days.
The outdoor unit lost power
A lack of cooled air coming through the vents
If you notice one of these signs, turn your AC off immediately to prevent more AC problems like a malfunctioning compressor (the most expensive component of your AC) and call an HVAC technician to fix the issue.
5. THE CONDENSER FAN IS BROKEN OR MALFUNCTIONING.
The condenser (outdoor unit) needs a functioning condenser fan to produce cold air. If the fan isn’t on the correct setting or the fan motor isn’t working, the heat in the condenser won’t be released properly. For this reason, it is important to keep up with routine maintenance of your air conditioning system, which will pinpoint these issues before they have the chance to create bigger problems in the future.
If you suspect the AC is blowing warm air due to an issue with your condensing fan, call an HVAC technician as soon as possible to prevent bigger AC problems.
6. A MALFUNCTIONING OR FAILING COMPRESSOR
When it’s functioning properly, the compressor circulates refrigerant between the evaporator (indoor unit) and condensing unit (outside unit). When there is a failing compressor motor at play, your air conditioning unit may stop blowing cold air as intended. Instead, it will start blowing warm air through the house when it is a scorcher outside.
An HVAC professional will likely recommend a replacement of the entire HVAC system if the compressor is broken because compressors are costly to fix or replace. A broken compressor will lead to short cycling of the cooling process and issues with proper airflow.
EXPERT AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR SERVICES
Has your HVAC system been blowing warm air lately? Don’t suffer through with warm air on a hot day and call our team of air conditioner repair technicians today.
Call Hale’s Heating and Air to restore the comfort of your home quickly with high quality service.