When it’s sizzling outside, you trust your cooling to keep things balmy inside. But is your air conditioner 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 AC is still having a hard time, your air conditioner could have a problem. Try these tips to help you resolve the matter.
Dirty Air Filter
A clogged filter is the most frequent reason an air conditioning system takes too long to cool the house. The purpose of a filter is to catch airborne debris that may harm sensitive HVAC equipment. More advanced filters even trap very small airborne particles to increase indoor air quality.
Over time, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, limiting circulation. Besides making your AC unit take longer to cool down the house, this issue can also result in higher energy bills, increased wear and tear, and overheating.
Solution: Check your air filter each month and exchange 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 uncertain where an air filter can be found, check with a local HVAC technician at your next service visit.
Improper Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat needs to be compatible with your cooling to work properly. Then, you have to set it correctly to reach a comfortable temperature. Employing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat produces the best results.
Solution: If you want to upgrade your thermostat, need help learning about programmable options, or don’t feel comfortable programming a thermostat on your own, get in touch with an HVAC technician at Barlow Service Experts for assistance.
Dirty Evaporator Coil
Split-system air conditioners have an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes the evaporator coil, which collects heat from the air with the refrigerant. It’s challenging for the refrigerant to hold onto heat properly if the evaporator coil is grimy, making it take more time to lower the temperature of your house.
Solution: Contact our HVAC experts to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this call consists of cleaning out debris and grime from the evaporator coil to improve cooling efficiency.
Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit
Your AC system's cooling cycle will require sending warm refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it expels heat away from your home. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or overgrown with encroaching plants, the cooling process can be less efficient.
Solution: Gently hose down the outdoor unit to get rid of dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, prune back bushes to around 12 inches from the unit to increase airflow.
Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant is vital to effective cooling. Typically, this substance flows in a closed loop among 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 expelling heat from your home.
Solution: Only a licensed technician can fix refrigerant leaks and refresh the system. If you think you're dealing with this problem, get in touch with our HVAC professionals for help right away.
Leaky Ductwork
Air ducts are the highways of your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side can make your air conditioner work harder and longer maintain comfortable temperatures.
Solution: If you are dealing with irregular temperatures and high amounts of dust throughout the house, call Barlow Service Experts to take a look at your ventilation. Duct sealing or replacement can take care of the problem.
Dirty or Blocked Air Vents
Conditioned air can only flow around your home as long as the air vents are open and clear. Closing too many vents can even disrupt the system’s balance, contributing to increased breakdowns and repair costs.
Solution: Inspect the vents all through the house, seeing to it that they’re open and not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.
Outdated or Undersized Air Conditioner
Did you install your air conditioning more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it gets older, the unit becomes less effective and may be unable to maintain comfortable temperatures. Furthermore, have you recently built a home add-on or made other improvements? This might result in an undersized air conditioner that can’t keep up with demand.
Solution: The only option for an old or undersized air conditioner is to swap it out. Trust our trained HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.
Schedule AC Repair with Barlow Service Experts
If your troubleshooting attempts prove ineffective, feel free to contact the HVAC specialists at Barlow Service Experts. We supply fast, effective support to get your AC back up and running right away. Rest assured that our technicians practice the highest standards of care to ensure your long-term peace of mind. Contact us to request air conditioning repair or additional HVAC services today.