When it’s sizzling outside, you depend on your cooling to keep things cool inside. But is your air conditioner taking a long time to cool down the house? This is familiar on sweltering days, which push your cooling harder than average. However, if it’s not especially hot outside and your cooling is still struggling, your air conditioner may 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 takes too long to lower the temperature of the house. The purpose of a filter is to catch airborne contaminants that may damage delicate HVAC equipment. More efficient filters even catch very small airborne particles to enhance indoor air quality.
Over time, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, restricting the flow of air. Besides making the air conditioning system take a long time to cool down the house, this problem can also produce more expensive energy bills, additional wear and tear, and overheating.
Solution: Check your air filter once a month and replace it if it appears dirty. Don't wait past three months to exchange the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re unsure where your air filter can be found, talk to a local HVAC technician at your next service appointment.
Improper Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat needs to be compatible with your air conditioner to run effectively. 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 replace your thermostat, need help learning about programmable features, or may not feel comfortable programming a thermostat yourself, get in touch with an HVAC technician at Falso Service Experts for assistance.
Dirty Evaporator Coil
Split-system air conditioners need an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit features the evaporator coil, which absorbs heat from the air via the refrigerant. It’s hard for the refrigerant to soak up heat efficiently if the evaporator coil is filthy, making it take more time to cool down the house.
Solution: Get in touch with our HVAC experts to clean and tune up your air conditioner. Part of this call involves clearing away dust and grime from the evaporator coil to boost cooling performance.
Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit
The cooling cycle requires sending hot refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it expels heat to the exterior. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or overgrown with encroaching vegetation, the cooling process might be less efficient.
Solution: Carefully hose down the outdoor unit to get rid of dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, trim back bushes to around 12 inches from the unit to boost circulation.
Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is the secret to effective cooling. Usually, this substance travels in a closed loop among the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your cooling loses refrigerant, it becomes less capable of absorbing and releasing heat from your home.
Solution: Only a trained technician can correct refrigerant leaks and replenish the system. If you suspect this problem, get in touch with our HVAC experts for help at once.
Leaky Ductwork
Air ducts are the highways of your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side could make your air conditioner perform harder and longer to keep your home cool.
Solution: If you notice irregular temperatures and high amounts of dust inside the house, call Falso Service Experts to inspect your ductwork. Duct sealing or replacement can fix the problem.
Dirty or Blocked Air Vents
Cooled air can only flow through your home if the supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Closing too many vents can even disrupt the system’s balance, contributing to increased breakdowns and repair costs.
Solution: Inspect the vents in each room, ensuring they’re open and unobstructed by furniture, carpeting or window treatments.
Aging or Undersized Air Conditioner
Did you set up your cooling more than 10 to 15 years ago? As time passes, the system becomes less efficient and could be unable to maintain steady cooling. Likewise, have you recently finished a home addition or made other improvements? This can result in an undersized air conditioner that won't always keep up with demand.
Solution: The only solution for an aging or undersized air conditioner is to replace it. Trust our certified HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.
Schedule AC Repair with Falso Service Experts
If your troubleshooting still proves ineffective, don't hesitate to bring in the HVAC specialists at Falso Service Experts. We deliver fast, effective services to get your cooling back up and running as soon as possible. You can rest easy knowing our technicians adhere to the highest standards of support to ensure your long-term peace of mind. Contact us to request air conditioning repair or additional HVAC services today.