When summer brings the heat, a malfunctioning air conditioner can be a big problem. Often, an AC breakdown causes a unit to blow warm air. There are a few reasons this can happen, some of them easy to fix and others more involved.
The first thing you should do when you notice your AC unit blowing warm air is to check the filter. A dirty air filter is one of the most common reasons for a unit to stop working properly. When the air filter is dirty, it blocks the air from flowing easily through the system, making the unit work harder. This can cause it to blow warm air. Thankfully, it’s a quick and easy fix!
Refrigerant is necessary to cool the air that comes out of your AC. When your refrigerant leaks, it cannot do its job. Refrigerant leaks can also lead to frozen evaporator coils, which occur when moisture builds up on them. This process can also prevent the unit from properly cooling the air.
If you have a split air conditioning unit, which includes an indoor and outdoor unit, your issue could be that the electricity isn’t on for one of them. When only the indoor unit is working, your AC will blow warm air. Checking your breaker and electrical connections can tell you if this is the problem.
Warm air from your AC could be a result of a thermostat error. A common mistake is to leave your thermostat on the “On” setting rather than “Auto”. Placing your thermostat on “Auto” ensures that it only runs during a cooling cycle. If it is “On”, the air will run the whole time, which means that you could be feeling warm air during the non-cooling cycles.
Once you’ve figured out why your air conditioner is blowing warm air, you can begin to address the problem. Dirty air filters and thermostat errors are simple DIY fixes. Checking your electrical breaker is also a an easy troubleshooting step to perform. If one of these seems to take care of the problem, there’s no need to contact a professional.
However, technical issues such as a refrigerant or evaporator coils problem should be left to an experienced technician. Refrigerant runs in a closed loop, which means that it’s not easy to access and if it’s out, you definitely have a leak. Hiring a professional is the best way to handle this situation.
If you’re unsure of how to handle or troubleshoot your air conditioning problem, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced heating and cooling contractor. For more tips, subscribe to our blog!