Why is my air conditioning unit blowing warm air?

Warm air doesn’t feel good in the summer, especially when it’s coming out of your air conditioning unit. There are several reasons your air conditioner is producing warm air. Let’s take a look at what can cause your air conditioner to run hot, and what you can do to fix it.

4 reasons your air conditioning unit may be blowing warm air

Start at the thermostat. Don’t laugh, but the thermostat is the first place to start when you get warm air from your AC unit. It’s possible that your thermostat is set to heat or “on.” If your thermostat is set to “on”, your system’s fan will operate all the time. It might just be circulating the warm air in your home. Set the thermostat to “auto” and observe your system while it cools your space.

Bad air flow around your compressor. If the air isn’t circulating well around your compressor, or it’s blocked with debris, your air conditioning unit may not be getting enough air. Dirty coils and clogged air filters can cause major operational problems for air conditioners. If you haven’t changed your filter in a while, or you skipped the routine maintenance this summer, call Dover-Phila Heating & Cooling. We’ll clean out your system and return it to its peak performance.

Your compressor isn’t working. The compressor (outside) is the business-end of your air conditioner. If your compressor is off, your system won’t cool your home. An electrical surge may have tripped the circuit breaker for your compressor. Check the circuit breaker for your compressor. Keep in mind that some AC units have their own, separate breaker, so it may not be on the same panel as the rest of your circuits. If the compressor breaker is off, reset it. If it works again, all is well. Call us at Dover-Phila Heating & Cooling however, if the breaker trips again.

Leaks. Your air conditioning unit may have a coolant leak. Coolant leaks can cause all kinds of performance problems, especially low performance. Refrigerants are toxic, so keep pets and children away from any refrigerants that may have leaked from your compressor.

Routine maintenance can help you avoid AC problems

Regular maintenance can help you avoid major problems with your AC unit. We recommend routine maintenance annually at the beginning of the cooling season. We can perform maintenance at any time, but early maintenance usually means a trouble-free summer.

Photo Credit: Wil C. Fry, via Flickr