No one wants to have to call an Austin AC repair company. In an ideal world air conditioning should be something we think about as little as possible. That’s because like a lot of things in life, air conditioning is something you only really notice when it’s not working. When it’s running smoothly, air conditioning provides us with that comfortable, non-humid, pleasantly cool atmosphere in our houses we’ve come to expect and love. It’s easy to take it for granted when you go months without any issues.
But, also like many things, sometimes something goes out of whack. The house isn’t getting as cool as it should be and it’s immediately noticeable. The lack of a comfortable and cool environment is the biggest part of the issue. But some also find that one of the things that’s most distressing about there being a problem with the air conditioning is the helpless feeling of not knowing what the cause of the problem could possibly be.
One problem that can cause this helpless feeling is when there’s no cool air blowing. Maybe the AC is clearly on as indicated by the thermostat but you go up to the vent and find no cool air. So what gives? That’s what this tip will be dedicated to, explaining many of the possible reasons why your AC might not be blowing cool air. This way, you can be informed and know exactly what the problem is, whether it’s going to be a cheap fix or not, whether it’s something you can do yourself or not.
No Air Blowing at All
All residential central air conditioning systems, whether operating as a split system or a heat pump, utilize the same basic method to cool your home. Basically, your air conditioner pulls in warm air from inside the home, extracts heat from it, and circulates cool air through your duct system and into the different rooms of your home. This is accomplished by the two major components of an air conditioning system: the condenser (the unit that sits outside your home) and the evaporator.
That’s how it should work ideally, but if you notice that your house isn’t as cool as it usually is, and you check the air vents to find no air blowing out of them at all, it could be because of one of several causes. First, check your thermostat. Make sure the settings haven’t changed. Make sure that it’s set to the “auto” setting and it’s in the “cool” position and finally make sure that the temperature is set to a temperature a few degrees below the current temperature reading.
If the thermostat settings aren’t the cause, move on to the next step, which is checking the air filters. If an air filter gets to dirty then it can cause a severe restriction in airflow throughout the system. This can cause the indoor unit to freeze up and therefore stop blowing cool air. This is an easy fix as well as it just requires changing out the air filter. This is something that needs to be done on a regular basis anyway. Air filters can be purchased at any home improvement store. Just make sure you get the same size and type of air filter when you shop for one.
The last thing to check in the case of an air conditioner that’s not blowing any cool air at all is whether the unit is getting electricity. Just because the thermostat is set to “on” doesn’t mean any electricity is actually powering the air conditioner. There are three main service switches that you should check in order to check for an electricity problem. The first is going to be located by the compressor in the outdoor unit. The second is going to be at the air handler in the indoor unit which is typically where the furnace is as well. The third is going to be at the fuses or circuit breakers in the electric panel. If any of those switches are off then you’ve got a problem with the air conditioner that will require the inspection of a professional in order to fully diagnose. For example, an AC with a water sensor switch will shut down if it has a clogged condensate drain line and water spills into an overflow pan. In other words, this means that your AC shut down to prevent water damage to your home.
Also, your AC may also be overheating, causing the air conditioner to pull in more electricity than the circuit breaker can handle. So the circuit breaker cuts power to your AC. If the circuit breaker keeps cutting power after your AC runs for a while, don’t ignore it. It’s trying to tell you something is wrong. A professional from a reputable air conditioning service in Austin can quickly diagnose and repair the problem.
No Cool Air
Another issue that you might have is an air conditioner that blows air but not cool air. This can be equally troubling, perhaps even more so, because you know the air conditioning is using up energy but you’re not getting comfortable as a result. So if you notice your house is warmer than usual and you check the air vents to find air blowing but it’s not cool, try some of these things.
The first step is to check the thermostat, just as you would if there was no air blowing at all. Make sure that the thermostat is set to “auto” and not “on.” The auto setting will turn the fans on when the house gets above the set temperature and blow cool air into the house then turn the fans off once the temperature has been reached. The on setting will cause the fans to continue to blow air even after the set temperature has been reached but the air blown won’t be cool.
If that’s not the issue, then move on to checking the air filters. Just like an air conditioner that won’t blow any air, an air conditioner that won’t blow any cool air can be caused by dirty air filters. A dirty air filter can restrict airflow into the air handler, which can cause a reduction of the amount of cool air you get in your home. If the air filter is dirty, now’s the time to change it out. As remarked on early, this simply means going to your local home improvement store and picking out a new air filter of the same size and type as the one you’re replacing.
If that’s not the issue, then it’s time to check the outdoor unit. Check for anything that could be blocking airflow or disturbing the outdoor unit’s operation in anyway. Clear away any debris around the unit. Make sure it’s not too dusty or dirty or covered in leaves. Basically, you want to make sure the outdoor unit has plenty of breathing room and that there’s nothing that could be interrupting smooth operation.
Another possibility if none of these causes are the case is that the AC unit is low in refrigerant. This could be caused by a refrigerant line leak which will need the help of a professional in order to fix.
Other Possible Reasons
Now, above are listed many of the more common causes of a lack of cool air whether it’s no air coming through at all or whether air is blowing but it’s not cool. But it’s impossible to cover every possible reason in so few words just because there are so many factors and parts of the air conditioning system in your house that can cause a failure. So in this section there will be listed a number of other possible reasons why you’ve got no cool air blowing.
One possible reason that will require the inspection of a professional is a faulty condenser unit. That’s the part of the outside unit that removes heat from the air. If something goes wrong there then you won’t receive any cool air in through the vents in your home because the warm air will be returning back into the house. The compressor is another part of your central air conditioning system that is prone to failure and whose failure can cause a lack of cool air. The compressor is responsible for pushing cold air from the condenser to the vent. If the air blowing from the vent is not cold, the compressor may be malfunctioning or misaligned.
You could also have a malfunctioning thermostat. If the thermostat isn’t sending information to the air conditioner then the air conditioner won’t know when to run and when not to. If your thermostat is in a part of your house that is getting more heat than the rest of the house, like near the oven or a window that gets a lot of direct sunlight, then it won’t be reading an accurate temperature and might switch the air conditioner off prematurely.
AC Express Air Conditioning Repair in Austin
An AC unit that isn’t blowing cool air is one of the most distressing problems that you can have when it comes to air conditioning in Austin. We need our air cool if we want to be comfortable so it’s no wonder that when people experience this problem they want a swift solution. There’s no swifter solution to the problem of a lack of cold air then calling a company that does AC repair in Austin.
AC Express was founded in 1996 and since then has been dedicated to servicing all of the Austin area, including Leander, Lakeway, and Manor. We want to provide you with quick and inexpensive AC repair that gets your air conditioner back to full working order. If you need any kind of AC repair in Austin, call AC Express today!
