Top 3 Reasons Your A/C Unit isn’t Cooling – & How to Fix Them
As we come into summer, and go from using the heat to using the air, you might realize your A/C unit isn’t cooling the house like it should be. There could be a few reasons for this, and luckily, some of them can be fixed by you without the need for a technician! Here are the top 3 reasons you may be haing this issue, and how to fix all of them.
1. Dirty or blocked unit
The most common problem, and the easiest to fix. A/C units need ventilation to be able to work, so if any debris is blocking your unit, it will not be able to operate properly.
Check around your unit outside and clear any vegetation, leaves, bushes, or other materials that may be blocking the air circulation around the unit. Allow the unit a few minutes to adjust, and check inside to see if you are getting cold air blowing again.
2. Dirty Filter
The next most common issue is a dirty filter. There are a lot of misconceptions around what the A/C filter does; most people think it is there to help keep your air clean. But the filter actually sits at the air intake, meaning it prevents pollutants from coming into the system, and has no effect on the quality of the air coming out. The air filter’s job is to protect your unit from things in the air that might accumulate inside the machine and make it run less efficiently.
If you live in an area that requires the A/C to be run often, or if you have pets, your filter probably needs to be cleaned more often than you realize. A good way to see if your filter is clean is to remove it from the unit and see if you can see through it. If you can’t, it’s time to be cleaned or replaced. If you notice while replacing the filter that the inside of the unit is frozen, turn it off for a few hours and let it thaw out before trying again. Once it turns back on, you should hopefully have cool air again.
3. Problem with the coolant
If you go through the process of cleaning the inside and outside of the unit and your A/C unit is still not blowing cold air, you probably have an issue with the inner workings of the unit. Now is the time to call a professional. Especially if the issue is an issue with the coolant in your system, since HVAC coolant can be highly toxic and dangerous for non-professionals to work with.
Still having problems with your A/C unit not cooling?
It’s time to contact a professional. If you’re not sure how a professional can help, check out our checklist to see exactly what our inspection goes over. By going through this in-depth list, the Comfort Specialists at Hammock’s will pinpoint what is wrong with your system and create a custom plan to address it.
