Why is my AC NOT Cooling?

Jul 2, 2020 | Air Conditioner, Blog, HVAC

When your A/C is operating the way it should, it goes in cycles. 

Ordinarily, a cycle lasts anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes at a time, give or take. When a cycle commences, the system will kick on and it will continue operating until it goes down to the temperature level you want (the temperature to which you set your thermostat). Once it attains that temperature, it will then turn off for some time.

Nevertheless, if your air conditioner is constantly running and it isn’t cooling off your home, you have a valid cause for concern. It shouldn’t be doing this. In addition to it NOT cooling your home, if this is happening it’s also going to raise your energy consumption, which leads to higher energy bills while placing needless strain on your system, which shrinks its lifetime. It goes without saying that our summers can get hot here in Ohio. Everybody should have a cool place of retreat from the heat. After all, you are paying for it!

If your A/C isn’t cooling your home and you’d like to troubleshoot the problem on your own before reaching out to an HVAC technician, we at Delaware Heating & Air composed the following to help you out.

Common Reasons:

Bad Air Filter

When your air conditioner is running non-stop and you realize it’s not cooling the place off, the first thing you should do is take a look at the air filter.

When an A/C filter needs to be changed, it restricts the airflow going into your home. This can limit your air conditioning system’s capacity and hinder its ability to eliminate moisture from the air you breathe. Inadequate airflow over the coils prevents it from removing humidity. As a consequence, your home will feel warmer and your system will run continuously.

Wrong Type of Filter

While we’re discussing air filters, we should mention if your A/C isn’t cooling your home there’s a chance your air filter might be too restrictive for your system. It could be an incorrect type of filter. With a wide variety of air filters available these days, not all of them are designed to work with all types of systems. The air filter you are using could have a MERV rating that is too high. The acronym

MERV, which is short for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a rating system that goes from 1 to 16. The rating of the filter you use should match the one particular to your HVAC system. Be sure to find out the right MERV rating for your home’s system.

Air Duct Leakage

One common reason your air conditioner might not be doing the trick could have nothing to do with your actual A/C unit itself. For the nice and treated air chilled by your A/C to reach you and all the rooms in your home, it must first move through your ductwork.

Throughout summers of being used, air ducts can grow loose or they can lose insulation. The tape joining them can fall off. Or, they may not have been installed with a tight seal in the first place. When this happens, it can create air leakage. When excess cool air escapes, it makes it hard for your A/C system to lower the temperature to the level you’re expecting. Knowing this, if you believe the air ducts in your home are leaking, or that they’re old and might need to be inspected, give us a call to schedule an inspection. We would love to come to check them out!

Low Refrigerant Levels

Air conditioning systems need certain levels of refrigerant to keep any home nice, cool and cozy during the hot months. If your system doesn’t have the refrigerant that it needs, there is a good probability you might could a refrigerant leak in the coils. If this is the case, your system will not be able to keep your home as cool. This is a prevalent reason why a homeowner’s A/C system might run non-stop. While the A/C labors harder to cool your home, without sufficient levels of refrigerant, it’ll just be spinning its wheels and this will run up your energy bills while at the same time shortening the lifespan of your valuable system. Because refrigerant is dangerous to handle, we strongly recommend you schedule an inspection with one of our trusted HVAC technicians if you assume this is the case.

Dependable, Affordable and High-Quality A/C Services

If you find that your A/C is struggling to keep your home nice and cool this summer, our team at Delaware Heating & Air would love to help. We offer comprehensive A/C repair services, emergency repair services, maintenance agreements, and full A/C installation, all of which are set at competitive prices. All of our work is guaranteed and insured as we are a Five Star Rated family business built on family values.

Call Delaware Heating & Air today at 740-227-8302, or schedule an appointment online now at https://www.delawareairandheat.com/schedule-now/