When it’s scorching outside, you count on your air conditioner to keep things balmy inside. But is your air conditioner taking forever to cool down the house? This is typical on sweltering days, which squeeze your cooling harder than average. However, if it’s not especially hot outside and your air conditioning is still struggling, your HVAC system may have a problem. Use these tips to help you troubleshoot the matter.
Dirty Air Filter
A clogged filter is the most frequent reason an air conditioning system needs too much time to cool the house. The job of a filter is to capture airborne pollutants that can cause problems for your HVAC equipment. More effective filters even trap microscopic airborne particles to enhance indoor air quality.
Over time, the filter becomes clogged with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, restricting circulation. Besides making an AC unit take longer to cool down the house, this problem can also produce larger energy bills, additional wear and tear, and overheating.
Solution: Check your air filter each month and change it if it seems dirty. Try not to wait longer than three months to change the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re not sure where your air filter can be found, check with your HVAC technician at your next service appointment.
Improper Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat has to be compatible with your AC system to work effectively. Then, you must set it correctly to reach a comfortable temperature. Installing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat produces the best results.
Solution: If you want to upgrade your thermostat, want help learning about programmable options, or may not feel comfortable programming a thermostat yourself, contact an HVAC technician at Rolf Griffin Service Experts for assistance.
Dirty Evaporator Coil
Split-system air conditioners possess an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit features the evaporator coil, which takes in heat from the air with the refrigerant. It’s hard for the refrigerant to hold onto heat efficiently if the evaporator coil is dirty, making it take more time to cool your house.
Solution: Get in touch with our HVAC experts to clean and tune up your air conditioner. Part of this maintenance involves cleaning out dust and grime from the evaporator coil to boost cooling efficiency.
Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit
Your AC system's cooling cycle involves sending heated refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it exhausts heat to the exterior. Unfortunately, if the outdoor unit is dirty or surrounded by encroaching vegetation, the cooling process could be less effective.
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 enhance airflow.
Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is an essential tool to air conditioning. Usually, this substance travels in a closed loop between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your air conditioner loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and dissipating 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 experts for help at once.
Leaky Ductwork
Air ducts are vital to your HVAC system. A leak on either the return or supply side might 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, get in touch with Rolf Griffin Service Experts to inspect your air ducts. Duct sealing or replacement can resolve the problem.
Dirty or Blocked Air Vents
Cooled air can only flow through your home if the supply and return vents are open and free from any obstructions. Shutting too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, resulting in increased breakdowns and repair costs.
Solution: Take a look at the vents all through the house, seeing to it that they’re open and unblocked by furniture, rugs or curtains.
Aging or Poorly Sized Air Conditioning System
Did you install your cooling more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it gets older, the AC becomes less effective and may fail to maintain comfortable temperatures. Additionally, have you recently finished a home extension or made other modifications? This might result in an undersized air conditioner that won't always keep up with demand.
Solution: The only solution for an outdated or undersized air conditioner is to swap it out. Count on our licensed HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.
Schedule AC Repair with Rolf Griffin Service Experts
If your troubleshooting attempts prove ineffective, it’s time to bring in the HVAC experts at Rolf Griffin Service Experts . We supply fast, efficient support to get your HVAC system back up and running as soon as possible. You can rest easy knowing our technicians stick to the highest standards of support to ensure your long-term satisfaction. Contact us to request air conditioning repair or additional HVAC services today.