In Anaheim, an air conditioner is a must for an enjoyable summer. Sometimes, though, often at the most inopportune time, your air conditioner may stop blowing cold air. When that happens, it’s important to understand the possible causes so that you can assess the situation and get in touch with Sano Heating & Air Conditioning if necessary. Although air conditioners are quite complex, there are typically only a handful of reasons why they stop blowing cold air.
Dirty Air Filter
Don’t discount the power of a dirty air filter to bring your air conditioner to a standstill. Clogged air filters can cause all kinds of problems for HVAC systems that can be expensive and inconvenient to repair. Fortunately, all you have to do to avoid these problems is to make a mental note to check your filter once every 30 to 90 days. When it’s clogged, simply replace the filter with a filter of the same size and media density. The reason a clogged filter causes problems with your air conditioner is that the dust in the filter reduces the amount of air that flows through the air conditioner. When you reduce the amount of air that flows over the evaporator coil, it can become too cold and cause the air conditioner to shut down.
Low Refrigerant Level
Even if you have a small house, your refrigerant line is still typically quite long. If a small pinhole develops at any point along the refrigerant line, you could eventually wind up with no cold air. Since the refrigerant exists in a gaseous state at certain points in the refrigerant line, the refrigerant can easily escape, even through small holes. Fortunately, a technician from Sano Heating & Air Conditioning can accurately test your air conditioner’s refrigerant levels to make sure there are no leaks. If they discover a leak, they can fix the leak and then add refrigerant to the line to get the levels back to where they need to be.
Clogged Evaporator Coil
Your air conditioner’s evaporator coil is a critical part of the cooling process. Air enters the evaporator coil warm and humid and exits it cool and dry. As air flows over the cold evaporator coil, the refrigerant absorbs heat so that it can move the heat outside. At the same time, when the water vapor in the air touches the cold metal in the coil, it instantly condenses, falling into the condensate drain located below the coil. Although the evaporator coil sits in a fairly protected portion of your home’s air conditioner, dust and debris can still get inside. When the coil is coated in moisture, the dust will accumulate on the coil. Over time, this reduces the coil’s ability to remove heat and humidity from the air, eventually leading to a lack of cool air coming from your system.
Faulty Thermostat Settings
The good news is that not all air conditioner problems call for major repairs. Something to check when your air conditioner stops blowing cold air is to make sure that you haven’t accidentally changed your thermostat settings. Most thermostats have a setting that allows the HVAC system’s fan to blow without heating or cooling the air. This provides great whole-home ventilation on days when the temperature inside is already comfortable. Check to make sure that you haven’t applied this setting on your thermostat and are instead actively cooling the air. If you have a smart thermostat, you can also check to make sure that the Wi-Fi connection is enabled if you have changed a setting on your phone.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Cooling and dehumidifying air takes a lot of electricity. This significant power requirement means that your air conditioner’s cooling components will have their own circuit in your home’s circuit breaker. In some cases, a temporary overload or power surge may cause the breaker to trip as it works to protect your HVAC equipment. Therefore, if your air conditioner isn’t blowing cold air, it’s a good idea to check the circuit breaker. If the breaker is tripped, switch it back to the “on” position, and then allow your system to run. If you notice that you’re still not getting cold air, check the breaker box again to see if the system has tripped the breaker again. If it has, it’s time to call Sano Heating & Air Conditioning for further electrical repairs.
Dirty Compressor Housing
Your air conditioner uses its compressor to change the state of the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid to help cool it down. Additionally, the housing around the compressor contains fins that allow the refrigerant line to shed heat that the refrigerant pulls from the house. Both of these functions require the compressor housing to have adequate ventilation. If the housing becomes clogged due to dirt, dust, animal nesting materials, or other obstructions, you could find yourself without cold air. When the refrigerant can’t shed heat, it won’t be able to effectively pull heat from your home. You can often resolve this problem by washing the outside of the compressor housing with a garden hose.
Excessive Use
If hot summer days find you constantly turning down the temperature on your thermostat, just be aware that this strategy could backfire. Sometimes, when you use your air conditioner excessively, the refrigerant line will freeze and prevent your system from removing heat from your home. It’s important to remember that adjusting your thermostat to a lower temperature will not increase the speed at which your air conditioner cools your home. Instead, it only forces your air conditioner to run longer, potentially resulting in subpar performance. Try using other cooling methods to lower the temperature in your home so that you can save electricity and wear and tear on your air conditioner.
Overflowing Condensate Drain
When your air conditioner removes humidity from the air in your home, it sends the condensate out of your home through the condensate drain. Even in smaller homes, the condensate drain helps get rid of about 5 gallons of water a day. Unfortunately, clogs can form in the condensate drain over time if animals decide to move in or if algae builds up during especially warm conditions. There is a sensor built into the condensate drain that can sense if water is backing up into the drain. If the sensor detects water, it activates a switch that will turn off your air conditioner. This is important to help prevent water from overflowing into your utility area. To prevent a clogged drain, Sano Heating & Air Conditioning recommends pouring a bleach and water mixture down the drain every six months.
Solving Your Air Conditioner Mysteries
At Sano Heating & Air Conditioning, no air conditioner mystery is too hard for us to solve. If your air conditioner isn’t blowing cold air, we can get to the root cause of the problem to help restore comfort to your home. We can also repair and replace furnaces, perform sheet metal work, repair and install ductwork, and install air purification equipment. With years of industry experience, we consistently exceed our customers’ expectations, resulting in numerous five-star reviews. To learn more about improving the performance of your air conditioner, contact us at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning today.
