ARTICLES

3 REASONS WHY YOUR AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT BLOWING COLD AIR

JUL 17, 2017

It is now July here in Phoenix and we are in the full summer swing of heat. As Robin Williams said in Good Morning Vietnam, “It’s hot, real hot!” The last thing you want to have to deal with during constant 105-plus temperatures is not being able to cool off. You are at work, you come home and you just want to relax. But maybe you come home to find your air conditioner is not cooling your house down. Well, why is that? Here three reasons your air conditioner is not blowing cold air:

REASONS YOUR AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT BLOWING COLD AIR

LACK OF MAINTENANCE

As we have talked about before, lack of maintenance can lead to several problems and that can impact whether your air conditioner blows cool air or not. Dirty cooling coils can be a cause of this, especially during monsoon season here in Phoenix. If your coils are dirty the transfer of heat from the coils becomes a difficult process and less efficient, cutting down your air conditioner’s performance. Refrigerant leaks can also be caused by lack of maintenance. Refrigerant is what actually moves heat from inside your home to the outside. Having a leak does not allow the system to function as it should, causing low efficiency and leading to less cooling of your home. One of the more common problems is due to lack of lawn maintenance. You may be wondering what keeping your landscaping maintained has to do with cooling your home. Well, if you have a unit on the ground, having debris, brush, shrubbery, etc. blocking your air conditioner the heat the unit is removing from your home can not dissipate properly — a likely cause of an air conditioner working but not cooling.

IMPROPER THERMOSTAT SETTING

Another reason your air conditioner may not be blowing cold air can be due to your thermostat. While this may seem like a simple or obvious thing, it is for those reasons that it is often overlooked. First, is there power to the unit? Homeowners, especially during these hot months, can sometimes panic if they don’t feel cold air coming from their air conditioner. Make sure there is power to the unit and that the backup batteries are not dead. If you notice that your air conditioner is blowing, but not blowing cool air, check to see the “fan” settings on your thermostat. If it is set to “on” change it to “auto.” Having the fan settings set to run all of the time leads to warm air being blown some of the time when your air conditioner is not in a cooling cycle. Also, this may seem like another no-brainer, but make sure your thermostat is set to “cool” not “heat.” You might be saying, “well, duh.” But, you would be surprised at how many service calls and fees could have be avoided for countless customers over our careers if that were looked at first. We are only human, after all.

AIR CONDITIONER IS OLD

The final reason that could explain an air conditioner is not blowing cold air is one that we do not really want to say and that you probably do not want to hear; your air conditioner is old and possibly worn out. As is the case with anything electrical or mechanical, over time things break down and there are only so many times you can fix, repair or will your air conditioner to work. Sometimes, it is just time. You can expect an air conditioner to last for 15-20 years with proper care and maintenance. If it is nearing that time, or if you have neglected your air conditioner for some number of years (no judgment), it is a very real possibility. Luckily, we are here for you if that happens to be the case. And on the bright side, newer air conditioners are becoming increasingly efficient and you can reap some long term savings by making sure you have the right unit installed correctly at your home. We can take a look at your system, spec out the right type and size of unit and install it for you. We are here 24 hours a day for you and all of our work is guaranteed.

As you can see, there are several reasons your air conditioner may not be blowing cold air. Some are simple fixes or steps you can do quickly on your own with no need to call for a technician. Other issues need a professional to take a look. If you are having issues with your air conditioner, give us a call. Right now we are offering $35 off of any air conditioner repair — mention this blog post! If your air conditioner is not blowing cold air, don’t let the hot Phoenix summers get you down. You CAN beat the heat.