Living in Florida often means feeling like you’re swimming underwater in a dank swamp. It’s hot, humid, and all you want to do is escape that uncomfortable environment and relax in your air conditioned home. Nothing can ruin those dreams of cooling off, however, like discovering that your AC unit is blowing lukewarm air. Learn why your AC unit is not blowing cool air and what you can do to fix it.
9 Reasons Your AC Is Not Cooling Your Home
1. Dirty Air Filters
Air conditioners work by absorbing hot and humid air from your home. The moisture condensates on the coils, and water droplets drip into a drip pan, which then siphons the water outside.
Efficient air conditioning depends on clean filters. Clogged or dirty filters will block airflow, even causing the condensation throughout the unit to freeze. This not only can form a block of ice on your coils, but also can cause your AC unit to overwork, driving your energy bill and increasing the wear and tear on your system. If you can’t remember the last time you changed your filters or if they look caked with debris, buy a replacement filter and install it as soon as possible.
Changing your air filters shouldn’t simply be a fix when something goes wrong — it would be a part of your normal AC upkeep. How often to change them depends on several factors:
- How many people live in your home
- Whether you have any pets
- Whether there are any allergy sufferers in your home
- Whether there are any smokers in your home
- Whether you often burn scented candles
- The types of materials on your filters
2. Dirty Condenser Unit
The condenser unit is that big square box outside your home. Just like your air filters, over time, they collect dust and debris. So much water goes through the pipes, even organisms like algae, mold, and mildew can start growing inside. You can prevent this by flushing them regularly with distilled white vinegar. But if your AC is already not cooling, you’ll need to do a more in-depth cleaning. For a video tutorial on how to do it, look here. Keep in mind that you’ll need a wet/dry vac. If you notice the fins on the side panel are bent, straighten them with a fin comb. Of course, you can always leave the job to a licensed technician, which will not only ensure the problem was handled correctly, but also they will be able to check for any other problems with your HVAC system.
Other things that may block airflow in your condenser unit are tree branches, bushes, and shrubbery around it, so make sure to keep them trimmed.
3. Broken Condenser Fan
If your AC condenser fan is broken, it won’t be able to remove heat from the air properly. As a result, the indoor fan, or blower fan, will push lukewarm air instead of cool air through your home. If your condenser fan is broken, it may be due to a bad capacitor.
Read: Why Is My AC Fan Not Spinning?
4. Bad Compressor
Your compressor, located in the outdoor condenser unit, is responsible for circulating the refrigerant throughout your AC system in order for heat exchange to happen. Without a working compressor, your AC unit is essentially dysfunctional. Since refrigerant is at the heart of the cooling process, a faulty or broken compressor will prevent your AC unit from blowing cool air.
5. Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is a gas at room temperature and is transformed into a liquid when it is compressed or cooled in the air conditioning process. It is an essential component of an air conditioner, allowing it to turn warm air into cool air. Air Conditioning works in a closed system, meaning that refrigerant doesn’t just run out — however, leaks can occur. Having a leak tends to be more common during the summer, since the heat and humidity can cause tiny holes to pop up on the AC’s hardware. This is a serious issue, because breathing it in can lead to refrigerant poisoning.
This is the type of issue that requires an HVAC professional to help you, since EPA regulations only allow certified technicians to purchase some type of refrigerant (specifically, Freon).
The most common signs of a refrigerant leak are the following:
- Hissing sound coming from your AC
- The AC vents blow warm air
- Your home is humid inside
- Frost forms on your condenser unit
- Frozen AC coils despite clean filters and a clean condenser unit
- Your electric bills are higher than usual
6. Faulty Ductwork
If your air ducts have been damaged or are malfunctioning, it can let too much warm air escape into your home, negating any cool air your AC unit is blowing and causing your system to overwork. While this is technically not an issue with the AC unit itself — since it may be blowing cool air, after all — it is still something a trained AC professional can inspect and repair.
7. Frozen Parts
When certain components of your AC system — such as air filters or evaporator coils — become dirty or clogged, it prevents your unit from removing heat properly, which can cause the condensation on the coils and other parts to freeze. Frozen parts are harmful to your AC unit and will keep it from cooling as it should.
8. Thermostat Needs to be Moved to a Better Spot
An air conditioner unit will keep running until the temperature in your home reaches what is set on your thermostat. For your thermostat to get the most accurate reading, it should be installed on an inside wall in one of the most often used rooms in your house. If you install it on a wall that faces outside, that wall will be in direct contact with the heat outside, and won’t read your home’s inside temperature properly. The same thing happens if the thermostat is located anywhere there are substantial fluctuations in temperature, such as a kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom.
9. Your Air Conditioner May Need to be Replaced
If you installed your air conditioner 15 to 20 years ago, it might be time to replace it. Generally, you’ll usually notice other signs as well, such as strange noises from your AC, foul odor, or if you often have to call for repairs.
Contact Colman Heating & Air for AC Service Repair in Brevard County
At Colman, we understand that sometimes, AC issues happen during the most inconvenient times. This is why we have a 24/7 AC emergency line. Contact us, and let us make your home cool and comfortable.
24-HR Emergency Service: (321) 269-4565
