When the summer heat arrives, homeowners rush to switch on their homes’ AC for comfort. When you do, and your AC is not cooling, it’s easy to panic. Before you do, check out this list of five common reasons an AC may stop cooling and what to do about them.
The most common reason for an air conditioner not cooling a house is a dirty air filter. Most ACs have disposable filters that require replacement every 90 days of use. If your AC shares an air handler with your furnace, its use counts toward the filter’s lifespan, too. When your AC’s air filter gets too dirty, it will restrict airflow through the system. The result is diminished cooling capacity. The same goes for your AC coils.
If it’s been more than three months since you replaced your AC’s air filter, inspect its condition. If it appears dirty, replace it. Ideally, you should replace the filter even if it doesn’t appear dirty. Dust and dirt accumulation will slow airflow long before you can see the buildup. When you replace your filter, take care to use a new filter with the same dimensions as your original and a compatible MERV rating.
You may not know it, but closing or blocking too many vents in your home can lead to AC trouble. As you close supply vents, pressure inside your ductwork grows. That backpressure can prevent your AC from delivering cold air to the open vents. So, if you’ve grown accustomed to closing vents to control the temperature in certain rooms, try opening them up. Your AC may resume cooling effectively after you do.
You must also remember that your AC’s return air grille must remain unobstructed, too. It’s where your AC draws warm air from your home to cool it. If you’ve moved furniture or anything else in front of your return air grille, you should remove it. That ensures your AC can pull in enough air to cool your home effectively.
Whenever your AC turns on, it draws a massive amount of electrical current to start its large fans. Capacitors are like rechargeable batteries built to store high voltage and deliver it in short bursts. Without them, your AC would trip its circuit breaker on every startup. When a capacitor fails, your circuit breaker won’t necessarily trip, but your AC’s large fans likely won’t run.
If your AC isn’t cooling, check the fan on its outdoor unit. If it’s off or running slowly, suspect a failed capacitor. In that state, your AC can’t expel the heat it collects into the outdoors. Fortunately, our AC repair technicians can replace failed capacitors quickly and in a single visit.
Another common issue that can cause HVAC problems in MI is a frozen evaporator coil. That’s the coil inside your AC’s indoor unit that cools air passing through the system. If too little warm air reaches it, or the coil’s temperature drops to unusually low levels, it may freeze. When that happens, airflow from your vents will drop, and your AC will blow warm air.
Unfortunately, it’s hard for you, as a homeowner, to diagnose a frozen coil yourself. The coil is inside a closed part of your AC’s indoor unit, where you can’t see it. However, there is a way to tell if your AC has a frozen coil. First, turn your AC off for a few hours and check its condensate drain line. If water continues dripping from it, it’s probably coming from the melting coil. Frozen coils indicate a malfunction in your AC and require immediate professional HVAC repair service.
The last and most serious issue that can stop your AC from cooling effectively is refrigerant loss. When your AC’s refrigerant system leaks, it won’t cause obvious problems at first. In fact, low refrigerant pressure will cause your AC to blow colder air, at least for a while. Eventually, it could lead to a frozen coil and, ultimately, a complete loss of cooling. It can also damage or destroy your AC’s compressor.
A leak in your AC’s refrigerant system may produce odd smells around your indoor or outdoor AC unit. Or you might hear a hissing sound coming from your AC. If you notice either, turn off your AC immediately. Then, call for an emergency AC repair to prevent further damage to the system.
No matter the cause of your AC’s cooling issues, Koch & White Heating and Cooling can help. We can solve cooling issues with HVAC systems of all makes and models.
Instead of rushing to Google “AC repair near me,” contact our team at Koch & White for an immediate AC repair in Ann Arbor and beyond.
