My Air Conditioner Is Blowing Hot Air: What’s The Problem?
In order to understand the problem, it would first help to understand how an air conditioner should work under ideal conditions. The principles of how an air conditioner works are simple:
First, the compressor takes the gas refrigerant and compresses it into liquid form. The nature of this process generates heat, which is why sometimes you will notice hot air blowing out of your outdoor air conditioning unit. The refrigerant goes through the expansion valve, turning back into gas, which has the opposite effect of compressing in that it draws heat out of the air. It goes into the coils, and then air is passed over the cooled coils, keeping your house cool and comfy.
Now that we understand the principle concept of how an air conditioner works, let’s take a look at some of the common issues that may cause it to blow hot air into the home.
Faulty Compressor
One of the first things to check is if the compressor is faulty on your air conditioning unit. The only job of the compressor is to compress the refrigerant (in most instances, this is Freon). Fully compressed refrigerant will undergo full expansion, and thus fully cool the cooling coils.
If that job is not being done efficiently, it means that the refrigerant expansion is insufficient, and thus the coils are not getting properly cooled. It’s possible that if they don’t get cooled, they’ll get warm, or even hot, which will lead to hot air being put out into the home.
Replacement of a compressor is usually the preferred method of fixing the problem, as repairing the compressor back to 100% efficiency is notoriously difficult. Most HVAC professionals will opt to replace the compressor completely. Once the compressor is replaced, you should notice cool air blowing in your house again. Be sure and check to see if this component is still under warranty so you only have to pay for the labor and not the part itself.
Clogged Filter
The air conditioning unit needs proper airflow in order to continue to work properly. Without proper airflow, you will most likely start to notice hot air blowing in your house when the thermostat says otherwise.
One thing that can restrict airflow enough to cause hot air to blow is a clogged air filter. If the air filter is clogged, airflow to the machine will be reduced at a drastic rate, and thus the rest of the system will be forced to work overtime as a result.
Dirty filters will not cause this, as the airflow needs to be severely restricted, so it has to be a very hard clog. If you open your machine and see a clog, a very easy fix is to just replace your filter, and you should see the problem fix itself.
Your Thermostat Is Set Incorrectly
Before calling out a technician, see if you’ve set your thermostat to the correct temperature. If the temperature on the thermostat is set at a higher than room temperature, the AC may blow warm air, depending on your unit and its settings.
If you’ve recently installed a new, digital thermostat yourself, or had one installed, another possibility is that the installation is faulty. Strange things can happen if you have an improperly wired thermostat, including hot air blowing from your unit.
Your Outdoor Unit Lost Power
Your air conditioning system is made up of a joint system of both your outside and inside units, and if your outside unit is not getting power, it can’t cool air down to blow throughout your house. Check your circuit breaker and see if anything is awry. Both fuses and amp breakers are used to protect our AC from electrical surges. If your AC breaker is tripped, or the fuse is blown, it’s a pretty easy fix.
You’re Low On Refrigerant
An air conditioner is only going to work when it is as effective as possible, and that means effective levels of refrigerant. Refrigerant is the lifeblood of the entire AC system, and with low levels, the system is not working effectively.
Air conditioning units are a closed system; they should never lose any amount of freon. This means that the only way for it to lose any is a leak. Leaks in refrigerant lines are not uncommon, however, most often require the attention of an HVAC technician.
Your Evaporator Coils Are Dirty
Evaporator Coils are one of the key components used in an air conditioning unit, and keeping them clean is a vitally important part of keeping your unit working at its optimal efficiency. Without clean Evaporator Coils, your machine is working harder to effectively cool your home. It’s suggested to schedule annual air conditioning tune-ups with your preferred HVAC technician to make sure that your coils are free of any build-up and debris that would cause them to prevent your machine from working at its optimal output.
On Time Home Services Has You Covered
Like any other machine, your HVAC system requires care. But your heating system can still experience problems, even when you’re caring for it responsibly. You will need to schedule regular HVAC inspections to identify potential risks and solve small problems before they become big problems.
That’s where we come in.
Whether you need a new system, need emergency repairs, or want to book repairs on your existing HVAC system from the Bakersfield HVAC repair experts, turn to the pros at On Time Home Services.
Our trained HVAC technicians will troubleshoot issues with your heating system, install a replacement, or recommend an energy-efficient system for your new construction.
We have extensive training and expertise in all stages of installation, repair, and maintenance of most major HVAC manufacturers. We’ll inspect your current unit to help you determine if it can work more efficiently, or whether a replacement is truly necessary.
Get in touch with our team today to schedule a consultation!
