Four Reasons Your AC Isn't Blowing Cold Air
During those hot summer months, the most important appliance that you own in your house is arguably your air conditioning unit. Regular maintenance will keep it operating at peak efficiency, but there may come a time when you turn on the unit to find that your vents are blowing hot air instead of cold. Why?
Below are four possibilities to check out first. While most of them can be done by the average homeowner, if you feel uncomfortable performing any of them, call a licensed HVAC contractor to schedule some much-needed air conditioning repair.
Dirty Air Filter
On average, your air filter will need to be replaced once every 1-6 months, depending on the time of year and your family's own issues with allergy and asthma. Failure to do so can result in an air filter that is caked over with a thick layer of dust, choking out your ducts and causing your AC unit to overwork. Replacing the air filter is easy, but if you've neglected changing it for months or even years, chances are you'll need to schedule an AC repair service as well.
Dirty Condenser
Another important part of your house's HVAC system is the condenser, located inside the main air conditioning unit. Though not very imposing, this little device is responsible for taking the hot air inside your home and transferring it to the compressor, which converts it into cold air. If it's dirty or blocked by debris, the condenser won't be able to breathe in the hot air and help to expel cold air throughout your house.
Broken Compressor
The compressor is usually the most important piece of your AC unit. It takes the hot air that is funneled in by the condenser and compresses it into cold air; if it's broken, it doesn't matter how well the other pieces are operating, you won't feel any cold air in your home, no matter what.
Low Refrigerant
As the name implies, the refrigerant is located inside the coils of your main air conditioning unit and is responsible for cooling (or "refrigerating") the hot air. Like every liquid, eventually, it'll run low, necessitating a call to an air conditioning repair company to refill it. This is not something the homeowner is able to do themselves; without a permit, refilling the refrigerant is illegal in most states. It's a simple fix, however, and one that can have your HVAC system running like brand new in no time.