The months of June to August are certainly the hottest months of the year in Ohio. Due to the heat and humidity being at their peak season, having a working AC is pretty crucial this time of the year. But what happens when your AC stops working and starts blowing out hot or warm air? It’s probably safe to say that you may in fact feel like you’re melting.
In all seriousness, we get that getting your air conditioner working again is super important. Having a cool, functioning AC isn’t just about staying comfortable; it’s about your safety, too, because ensuring good airflow and circulation around your house is important.
So, your AC isn’t pumping out cool air. Let’s dive into some common reasons from your Delaware Heating & Air experts why your AC might be on the fritz and try to troubleshoot it.
Let’s Troubleshoot:
Have You Checked the Thermostat?
Let’s zero in on the thermostat, which is basically the brain of your HVAC system. If your thermostat goes on the fritz, it messes up everything. A wonky thermostat means it’s not chatting properly with your HVAC, messing with when your AC kicks in or how it runs. A ton of the time, when something’s off with the system, the thermostat’s to blame. So, if your air conditioner’s acting up, giving the thermostat a once-over might just fix it.
- First off, see if your thermostat is on and responding. You might just need to swap out the batteries if that’s a thing for your model.
- Next up, check that your thermostat isn’t set to “heat.”
- Make sure your thermostat is set to “auto” instead of “on.” If it’s on “on,” the fan’s going to run nonstop, regardless of the temperature.
Have You Checked the Breaker?
It might just be the breaker switch flipped off. If your unit is actually blowing out warm air, this may not apply to you. But it still won’t hurt to check. Inspect your circuit breaker to see if the air conditioner’s breaker tripped, and if it did, just flip it back on. If that fixes the problem, awesome! But, if your AC continues to trip the breaker, there’s probably something bigger going on, and it would be best to call a technician.
Have You Checked the Air Filters?
A clogged air filter might not look like a big deal at first, if but left ignored, it could cause major issues. When an air filter gets too dirty, full of dust and other stuff floating around, it chokes off the airflow. This can lead to a bunch of problems with parts like the motor, fan, or even the compressor.
You should swap out your air filters every 1-3 months, depending on the type you use, whether you’ve got pets, and how often you run your system. It’s smart to check your air filters now to see if they need changing. If switching them out fixes your warm air problem – awesome! If not, just move on to the next step.
Have You Checked the Evaporator Coils?
This next troubleshooting step is closely related to the one above. If an air filter gets clogged, you might end up with dust or loose debris piling up on the evaporator coil as a result of it. Dirty evaporator coils can’t absorb heat from the air like they’re supposed to, messing with the heat exchange needed for the cooling process to work properly.
To fix this issue, take a close look at your evaporator coils. If they look like they need a clean, gently do so. Check out this link for a step-by-step guide on how to clean your evaporator coils properly: Click here.
Have You Checked for a Refrigerant Leak?
Just like your car’s air conditioner needs coolant to pump out cool air, your home’s AC system works the same way. Your AC uses refrigerant to swap heat for cold, so if it’s low or there’s a leak, you’ll start getting warm air blowing out instead.
If you don’t have HVAC certification, chances are you can’t legally get your hands on air conditioning refrigerant for your system. So, it’s probably best to leave this kind of troubleshooting to the pros. However, you should still watch for these obvious signs that your refrigerant might be low or leaking:
- You might hear bubbling or hissing sounds even when the AC’s off
- The air from your vents isn’t cool like it should be
- There’s ice forming on the evaporator coils
Have You Checked the Condenser?
So, let’s chat about your outdoor unit – the condenser. If the condenser’s coils get all dirty, they’re not going to pull out the warm air from your home like they should. This means less cool air flowing through. And if this keeps up for a while, it could actually end up hurting your condenser unit.
So, what’s the plan if you notice your condenser coils are a bit on the grimy side? First thing, power off the unit. (Safety always comes first!) Then, slap on some gloves and gently rinse away the debris using a water hose. Make sure to go easy with the hose setting. It would be best to choose a gentle setting. Try to stay away from the “spray” setting. Grab the hose tight and start from the bottom of the condenser, working your way up inch by inch, moving from left to right across the coils. Take your time and be thorough. Rushing through could be counterproductive. Just remember, your HVAC tech can tackle the nitty-gritty parts of cleaning your condenser during your next scheduled tune-up and safety inspection.
Still having trouble with your AC blowing hot air? There are quite a few tricks you can try on your own to fix it, but sometimes, it’s just better to leave it to the experts. If your air conditioner still isn’t cooling things down, we’ve got your back! All our techs are NATE-certified and come with loads of experience. And guess what? We’re here for you 24/7, every single day of the year.
Get your AC prepped for Ohio’s heat with the Delaware Heating & Air family. Call us at (740) 227-8302 or schedule a heating or cooling repair appointment online now by clicking here!
