Summer is here and everyone is excited to be outside barbecuing and soaking up the sun. That said, having a perfectly air-conditioned home for cooling down on a hot day is important. Without one, the summer heat doesn’t give you much to look forward to.
Summer is when we expect our home’s air conditioning to work, but, sadly, it’s also the time some of us realize it doesn’t, which makes it a hectic time for air conditioner repair specialists.
If you have an air conditioner blowing hot air instead of cold, sometimes the solution is simple enough to fix yourself. Other problems are more serious, and only professionals can help you solve them.
Before we discuss troubleshooting an AC blowing warm air, here are the basics about how an AC system’s fan works to produce cool air.
An air conditioner has three main components: the air circulation system, the evaporator and the condenser.
A fan draws warm air into the air conditioner, where it passes over the evaporator coil. This contains a cooling chemical known as a refrigerant that absorbs the heat. The hot refrigerant liquid is now a cooler low-pressure gas as it absorbs heat from your home.
This passes through the compressor and turns into high-pressure vapor which recondenses into a liquid as the heat is rejected or vented through the condenser outside as warm air. Meanwhile, a fan blows cooled air into the house.
As you can see, to make an air conditioning system blow cool air, all of its parts need to work in harmony. When you have your air conditioning blowing warm air, that’s a clear signal that they aren’t.
6 AC Problems & Their Solutions
1. The Thermostat
Sometimes, your AC is blowing warm air due to the wrong thermostat setting. You don’t want to call out HVAC technicians to turn a dial, so before you do anything else, double-check the thermostat.
Solution: Make sure your air conditioning unit is set to “cool” and that it turns on and off at the correct temperatures. While you’re at it, check the thermostat’s batteries.
If the thermostat is looking good but you still have a warm air issue, it’s time to move on to the next potential cause with a simple solution.
2. The Circuit Breaker
If the thermostat isn’t the problem, make the sure warmer air you are experiencing isn’t due to a blown fuse. When an AC system goes on as the summer heat begins to rise, there is a sudden surge of household power use, and this sometimes trips a circuit breaker or even an emergency shutoff switch.
Solution: Go to your fuse panel and check for a tripped circuit breaker. Fixing it is just a matter of switching it the other way. If your circuit box is part of an outdated electrical system and contains old-fashioned fuses, you will need to locate the one that is broken and replace it.
If your AC keeps tripping your fuses, this indicates electrical issues that require professional help.
3. The Air Filter and Evaporator Coils
An AC’s evaporator coil needs to be clean to cool the air properly, as does the air filter to prevent a dirty evaporator coil. So, if you have an AC blowing warm air, it could be that a dirty air filter has led to a frozen evaporator coil.
When an evaporator collects sufficient dust and debris, it freezes, which is bad because frozen evaporator coils get in the way of airflow, resulting in the AC blowing warmer air generated by the motor instead of the cool air you want.
Keeping air filters clean can help prevent evaporator coils from freezing. They are easy for the homeowner to replace, and most manufacturers recommend changing them every month.
An easy way to check whether a filter is dirty is to see if light shines through it. If it doesn’t, it is time to get a new one so that you avoid frozen coils that will cause your AC to blow warm air just when you want it to be cooling you down.
Solution: If the filter is dirty, change it. It is harder to see whether coils inside air conditioners are frozen, so after you have changed the filter, keep your cooling off for a couple of hours to give them a chance to thaw.
Then, turn the AC on. If it still isn’t cooling air as it should, your coil needs professional attention or the problem lies elsewhere.
Check your ducts as well. They could be leaking and letting dust into your ventilation system. It might be time to seal your ducts correctly.
4. The Outside Unit Condenser
The outdoor AC unit of a central air conditioner is called a condenser unit. If none of the above fixes have stopped your AC blowing warm air, checking that you don’t have a dirty condenser is the next troubleshooting step.
Airflow is as essential to an outdoor unit as to one housed indoors. The cooling airflow you need could be impeded by many things, including the collapse of air ducts or fan problems, but a dirty or blocked condenser casing is something you should also check for.
Ideally, your outside unit has been installed with good clearance from your house and other obstructions, but sometimes debris falls or blows into this space, interfering with airflow.
Solution: Turn off the air conditioner and clean its condenser casing and the space around it. You can pull out branches and leaves, then turn a hose on the outdoor unit to clear away mud and dirt. Once everything is clean, turn on the outdoor unit to see if it is working.
Regular inspections of outdoor AC units are a great preventative measure. Having your system professionally cleaned by an HVAC technician at the start of the summer is also wise.
5. The Refrigerant
Low refrigerant levels are a leading culprit of air conditioner problems, and their causes can include poor installation, wear and tear, incorrect refrigerant charge, and refrigerant leaks.
In addition to blowing warm air, indications that you could have a refrigerant leak include hissing noises and frost on the refrigerant line.
Solution: This area of your air conditioning system should always be left to the professionals because refrigerants are very dangerous to work with. Service technicians should do more than just top up the refrigerant, as getting to the root of why refrigerant leaks are happening is crucial.
As always, prevention is better—and cheaper—than cure. Regular maintenance from an HVAC technician at the start of the summer is the best way to be sure your refrigerant levels are good and your unit is ready to produce the right air temperature.
6. The Compressor
Compressor issues interfere with the closed-loop system of heat transfer that is essential to an AC unit producing cold air.
Solution: Call in an HVAC repair service. Like refrigerant problems, the compressor is something only highly skilled professionals should tamper with.
Contact Us
Is your AC blowing hot air? We can fix that. For almost 20 years, Air & Energy of NWFL has been assisting residents of Pensacola and the surrounding areas with their air conditioning needs.
Whether you want a new HVAC system installed, an old air conditioning system serviced, or an emergency fix of a refrigerant leak, no job is too big or small for our team. We offer same-day services, money-saving maintenance plans with generous discounts on parts, and attractive financing options.
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