One of the most annoying parts of summer has to be having an air conditioner that just doesn’t work the way you want it to. Chances are, many of you out there have an air conditioning unit or system that has to run all day to keep the house cool – or even worse, runs all day and doesn’t keep the house cool. So, what’s causing it? I mean, it’s not as if your AC has been acting this way since it was installed.
First of all, you should check your thermostat. These days thermostats are much more than just a dial you set to your desired temperature, and having it on the wrong setting can make it seem like your AC isn’t cooling properly. Often times there will be a few different settings, typically ranging from OFF, ON, and AUTO. When set to ON, the fan or blower will run regardless of the temperature of the house. When on AUTO, the blower and fan will only turn on to cool the house.
If all looks good with the thermostat, the next place you’ll want to check is the ductwork. The air ducts that run throughout your home accumulate dust, lint, and other nasty debris that builds up and eventually begins blocking airflow. It may be a good idea to see if they’re dirty or not – if they are, you should probably have someone come out and clean them.
Dust buildup in the air ducts isn’t the only thing that can go wrong with them, so you’ll want to make sure there are no cracks or bends that might be affecting your system cooling abilities.
So, if your air ducts are good, and your thermostat is set to the right temperature and setting and your AC still isn’t cooling down your home, there’s one last part to check. The refrigerant itself. Over time the inert gas housed in the compressor leaks and needs to be refilled, or “recharged” as it is commonly referred to. Basically, it’s the process of making sure your AC unit has enough refrigerant gas to actually cool the air. If the levels are too low, the system will run and run and run without much to show for it, except for on the monthly utility bills.
There you have it. If your residential air conditioning system isn’t living up to your expectations and is costing you an arm and a leg for mediocre cooling, check these three parts first, then give us a call.
