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Commander Air Inc. Blog

Why Is My AC Running, But Not Cooling My House?

overheated-woman-wiping-sweat-from-her-forehead

There’s not much that can throw a wrench into your day in Florida like an air conditioner that isn’t managing to cool your home.

And it can be doubly frustrating if your air conditioner is actually running, it just isn’t accomplishing anything. If you can hear that your AC unit is turning on and trying to function, but your house isn’t cooling down, here are some of the possible culprits.

The Air Filter

During times of consistent AC use, the air filter should be changed every month. If that isn’t done, the resulting thick layer of dust can choke the airflow through the system.

This means that the air conditioner is running, but it cannot circulate cool air, so your home won’t cool down. If you continue to operate your air conditioner with a clogged filter, components can eventually overheat and fail entirely.

Air filter care is easy and does not require a professional. Simply turn off the unit and slide the filter out. If it is a reusable filter, you can wash it. Allow it to dry completely before returning it to the unit.

If it is a disposable filter, you can throw it away and replace it with a new one. Then turn your air conditioner back on. With luck, this was your only problem, and your home will start to cool down.

The Thermostat

Sometimes, the air conditioner isn’t receiving the signals that you think it is. Spend a moment double-checking that the thermostat is set to COOL and not FAN ONLY, and that no vacation settings have been activated allowing the house to reach a higher-than-normal temperature to save energy.

You can even try changing the batteries, because failing batteries sometimes fail to send consistent signals. If it is set the way you want it, and the batteries are working, there’s still the possibility that it is miscalibrated or has a faulty connection.

A qualified technician in AC repair in Pensacola, FL can determine whether this is the case and resolve the problem.

The Refrigerant

This is the greatest cause for concern. If refrigerant is leaking from your air conditioner’s coils, it will no longer be able to absorb as much heat from your home.

As that refrigerant level continues to drop, the compressor may start to overheat. Because the compressor is the most expensive and most critical component of the air conditioner, this is a disaster.

To avoid having to replace the compressor—or the whole air conditioner, which is sometimes the better choice at that point—make sure you get a technician in promptly to take a look. The coils can be repaired, and the lost refrigerant can be refilled.

This is a straightforward repair as long as it is done before the compressor sustains any damage.

Please keep in mind, whenever you are concerned about your air conditioner, that delaying repairs can mean a small problem has time to become a much larger one, and more expensive and time-consuming to fix. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Contact the team at Commander Air Inc. Your hometown heating and cooling specialist for three generations.

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