Well, the weather in Clearwater, Palm Harbor and the surrounding area is getting warmer. The sun is shining and it might be time to spend the day by the pool, which also means that it is time to turn on your AC. There are many things that can happen to an air conditioner in the off season. Imagine you turn it on and it is blowing hot air? This can be very frustrating. There are many reasons this might be happening. Lets look over a few of them.
The first thing to check is your thermostat. Often it is set incorrectly. This seems like the most obvious thing, however it is very common that the thermostat is set to ‘heat’ when you mean it to cool. Sometimes the simplest explanations are the hardest to see or remember. The other thing to check is the ‘auto’ setting or if the fan is set to ‘on’ which means the fan will run even if the AC is not set to cool. Thermostats can vary but these would be the basic settings to check first.
If all your thermostat settings are correct, there could be an airflow restriction. When was the last time you changed your air filter? The air filter protects your unit by filtering out dirt and debris from the air. If the filter is doing its job well it will collect dirt and debris and need to be replaced regularly. You should change your air filter regularly throughout the season, the frequency will depend on the filter type and AC unit brand. If the filter is clogged then not enough air can flow through to cool your home.
Your AC unit needs both an inside and an outside unit to operate. The unit inside has a fan that blows air through the house and needs the outside unit to provide cool air for it to push around. So the next thing to check is if both your inside and outside units are turned on and functioning properly. Check the outside unit for ice which causes a malfunction in the compression coil, hence the warm air. Also check the coils. If your unit hasn’t been serviced recently they might be dirty, which is another reason they don’t function correctly.
Other problems include refrigerant leaks, bad compressors and/or electrical problems or failures. These problems require a professional to diagnose and fix. Refrigerant leaks can be dangerous, and compressors are complicated and can often be misdiagnosed if inspected by someone unqualified to do so. Contact Us for more information on diagnosing and troubleshooting your AC issues.