Why Is My AC Not Cooling the House?

Did you know we spent almost $30 billion in 2017 on HVAC units alone? This number doesn’t even include maintenance costs that usually amount to about $250 per year. Luckily, you can spend less than that and significantly improve the lifespan of your AC unit if you maintain it properly.

For example, many California homeowners ask themselves “why is my AC not cooling”? This common issue might be caused by minor damages or defective components. Fixing these issues quickly will prevent major repair costs later on.

Here are a few reasons why your air conditioning unit isn’t working properly and how to solve them.

Dirty or Clogged Air Filter


A dirty air filter is usually the culprit for a lot of HVAC problems. The dirty filter could reduce airflow, making your AC unit struggle to bring more cool air to your house. In this case, the recommended AC repair operation would be to carefully inspect your air filter. If it’s very dirty, try to replace it with a brand new one, instead of cleaning it.

Your Condenser Unit is Blocked by Debris


The condenser unit is placed outside the house, somewhere in your yard. It’s used to ensure proper airflow and maintain the correct temperature inside your house, regardless of the weather conditions. However, sometimes it can get blocked by debris such as weed, grass, leaves, kids’ toys, and other personal belongings.

Trust us, it happens very often. Be sure to look around your outdoor AC condensor to ensure it is debris-free.

It’s important to keep the area around the condenser unit clear and free of debris. Make sure that you remove items from around the unit and use a garden hose to get rid of dust and debris. But do not blast water it on the highest settings because this can damage the condenser unit altogether and cause more harm than good.

You Have a Poorly Installed or Maintained HVAC Unit


Installing an HVAC unit is not the easiest job in the world, that’s why it should be done by professionals. You should seek the help of licensed HVAC experts who can the instalaltion right the first time. In some cases, your HVAC unit could be too small for your home and simply cannot keep up with demand.

Thermostat Is Set to the “On” Position


This usually happens to a lot of homeowners, so don’t feel embaressed if you’re in that bunch. A thermostat switched to “On” will blow air constantly, even when the air conditioning unit isn’t cooling your house. As a result, you get a large amount of warm air blowing in your home 24/7. To fix this problem, set the thermostat to “Auto” instead. This will make the blower run only when the AC cools your house.

Now You Know Why Your AC Is Not Cooling!


Hopefully, this article provided a few good answers to your original question of why your air conditioning unit is not working. It’s up to you now to inspect your AC unit and see why it’s not cooling your house as efficiently as possible.

If you have no time or knowledge to inspect your AC on your own, make sure that you contact us today. We are local HVAC installers with 20+ years of experience in Sonoma County and can service your AC unit at a competitive price.

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