Is Your AC Blowing Hot Air? Discover the Reasons Why
July 21, 2017
Even though we call the units in our homes “air conditioners” the chief reason we have this hardware installed is to “condition” the air in one specific way, and that is to cool it down.
During the summer months, the air can get hot and muggy, making life extremely uncomfortable at home. Under normal circumstances, an air conditioner is designed to handle this problem.
But when it doesn’t, there is something very wrong. If your AC is blowing hot air rather than the cool air you need to be comfortable, there are a few reasons why this may be happening.
Your AC Is Freezing Up
As hard as it may be to believe this, even on the hottest days of summer, it’s possible for your AC to freeze and be covered in ice and icicles.
You may think that just means your AC is working super hard, but in actuality, this can interfere with the cooling process in your home.
All that cool air is going towards your condenser unit outside, not your home!
The AC freezing can have any number of causes.
Mechanical problems, poor airflow, and even low amounts of refrigerant can all lead to an imbalance in the cooling process.
An experienced technician can quickly get to the heart of this problem.
You Have a Refrigerant Leak
As the name implies, the refrigerant is the chemical that in your air conditioner that is responsible for cooling the air that is then distributed in your home.
Whether it is a small window unit, or a larger, centralized system, all AC units have a refrigerant inside.
It is through a combination of converting this substance from liquid to gas, and allowing it to absorb heat in the air can be cooled and circulated back into the home.
When the refrigerant leaks and is not allowed to undergo its normal cycle of changing states and absorbing heat in specific amounts and pressures, this has a direct impact on your heating.
Refrigerant problems can severely interfere with your AC’s cooling ability.
A Blown Breaker Switch
If you have a central AC system and the fan in your home is blowing, but the condenser unit outside isn’t, you may have a blown breaker switch.
This just means that the electricity that should be powering your AC is no longer doing so.
Before you assume the worst, check if the switch is in the off position.
If it is, just flip it back to the on position and boom! Your problem is solved.
But if the problem continues, it may be because you’ve blown the circuit breaker.
If your AC unit is the type that has its own separate fuses, check to see if these need replacement.
There could also be an electrical problem that trips the circuit breaker to your house and is causing the issue.