Thermostats
It’s incredibly frustrating when you run the air conditioner but it never seems to reach the temperature you programmed in your thermostat settings. When your cooling system misses the mark like this, a few different issues may be to blame.
Sanborn’s Air Conditioning & Heating explains the potential problems that keep an air conditioner from achieving your thermostat settings. If you think your system may suffer from one of these problems, contact us today to schedule service.
Duct Leakage
If there is a duct leakage present, your air conditioner may be producing plenty enough cooling to hit the thermostat settings inside – but you’ll never know it because cool air never makes it to your living areas.
Duct leaks are openings within the ducts that allow conditioned air to escape before reaching living areas. Tears in flex duct, gaps between sheet metal duct sections and disconnected ducts allow air leakage and need to be sealed to help your home reach the temperature on your thermostat settings.
Refrigerant Leak
Air conditioners use refrigerant to absorb heat from inside and transfer it outside to keep living areas cool. When refrigerant leaks out of the system, your air conditioner doesn’t have the proper amount of refrigerant required to expel all that heat.
Besides a lack of cooling in the home, signs that point to a refrigerant leak include:
- Refrigerant lines ice over
- Evaporator coil ices over
- Whistling or hissing sound from refrigerant lines
- High energy bills
Refrigerant leaks need to be corrected by an HVAC technician who is qualified to safely handle refrigerant. Once the leak is repaired, the system must be recharged to replenish refrigerant for proper function.
Dirty Air Filter
If you go too long between filter changes, you could experience cooling problems where your indoor temperatures never reach the thermostat settings you selected. A filter clogged with contaminants restricts airflow through the system, limiting cooling power. It could also force the evaporator coil to freeze, leaving your home without cooling. Replacing the filter on a regular basis can prevent this problem.
Clogged Exterior Unit
Tall grass, lawn clippings, leaves and other items that are too close to the outdoor condenser unit restrict airflow. When there isn’t enough open space around the condenser, heat is not expelled properly from the equipment.
Dirty Coils
Built-up grime on the condenser coils of a cooling system can prevent an efficient cooling process, so the home never reaches the thermostat settings. HVAC technicians perform coil cleaning to remove buildup, which provides more surface area for proper heat exchange and adequate cooling.
Undersized AC Unit
If your air conditioner is too small for the home, it is going to struggle to provide adequate cooling. Unfortunately, the only solution for an undersized air conditioner is replacement with an appropriately sized model.
For Air Conditioner Repair, Call Sanborn’s Today
If your thermostat settings never seem to be reached when you’re running the cooling system, you need air conditioner repair. Sanborn’s skilled technicians are able to perform an accurate assessment to determine system issues and make fast repairs. Contact us today to schedule service.