When it’s sizzling outside, you depend on your air conditioner to keep things cool inside. But is your air conditioning taking forever to cool down the house? This is familiar on sweltering days, which squeeze your cooling harder than average. However, if it’s not very hot outside and your air conditioner is still having a hard time, your cooling equipment could have a problem. Follow these tips to help you troubleshoot the issue.
Dirty Air Filter
A clogged filter is the most common reason an AC system needs more time to cool down the house. The job of a filter is to capture airborne pollutants that may damage sensitive HVAC equipment. More efficient filters even capture very small airborne contaminants to enhance indoor air quality.
Eventually, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, limiting circulation. Besides making an air conditioning system take longer to cool down the house, this situation can also produce larger energy bills, increased wear and tear, and overheating.
Solution: Check your air filter every month and replace it if it appears dirty. Try not to wait past three months to change the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re unsure where an air filter is located, talk to an HVAC technician at your next service appointment.
Improper Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat must be compatible with your air conditioner to run properly. Then, you must set it correctly to reach a comfortable temperature. Using a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat provides the best results.
Solution: If you want to update your thermostat, need help learning about programmable features, or may not feel comfortable programming a thermostat on your own, get in touch with an HVAC technician at BW/Cook Service Experts for assistance.
Dirty Evaporator Coil
Split-system air conditioners possess an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes the evaporator coil, which collects heat from the air via the refrigerant. It’s hard for the refrigerant to soak up heat efficiently if the evaporator coil is grimy, making it take more time to cool down the house.
Solution: Call our HVAC experts to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this visit includes clearing away debris and grime from the evaporator coil to boost cooling performance.
Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit
A cooling cycle will require transporting hot refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it expels heat away from your home. Unfortunately, if the outdoor unit is dirty or overgrown with encroaching yard waste, the cooling process can be less efficient.
Solution: Lightly clean the outdoor unit to remove dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, trim back bushes to a minimum of 12 inches from the unit to improve ventilation.
Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is vital to air conditioning. Typically, this substance moves in a closed loop between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak occurs and your AC loses refrigerant, it becomes less capable of absorbing and releasing heat from your home.
Solution: Only a licensed technician can fix refrigerant leaks and recharge the system. If you believe your AC is struggling with this problem, call our HVAC pros for help at once.
Leaky Ductwork
Air ducts are vital to your HVAC system. A leak from either the return or supply side can make your air conditioner run harder and longer to cool your home.
Solution: If you notice inconsistent temperatures and excessive dust throughout the house, call BW/Cook Service Experts to examine your ventilation. Duct sealing or replacement can resolve the problem.
Dirty or Blocked Air Vents
Cooled air can only flow through your home if the vents are open and unobstructed. Closing too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, resulting in more breakdowns and repair costs.
Solution: Inspect the vents in every room, seeing to it that they’re open and not blocked by furniture, rugs or drapes.
Aging or Inadequately Sized Air Conditioning System
Did you put in your air conditioning more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it gets older, the AC becomes less effective and can struggle to maintain a comfortable home. Likewise, have you recently finished a home add-on or made other alterations? This might result in an undersized air conditioner that can’t keep up with demand.
Solution: The only option for an outdated or undersized air conditioner is to replace it. Count on our certified HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.
Schedule AC Repair with BW/Cook Service Experts
If your troubleshooting efforts prove ineffective, it’s time to contact the HVAC specialists at BW/Cook Service Experts. We supply fast, efficient services to get your HVAC system back up and running right away. You can count on the fact that our technicians adhere to the highest standards of customer service to ensure your long-term satisfaction. Contact us to arrange air conditioning repair or any other HVAC services today.