When your air conditioner begins to blow warm air, it can be one of the biggest inconveniences that homeowners experience during the hot summer weather. Sometimes it’s as simple as accidentally setting the HVAC unit to the wrong temperature or activating the heating unit. However, warm air can often occur because of a malfunction in your AC unit.
In order to help you understand why air conditioners blow warm air, we are going to offer you five of the most common issues that homeowners experience with their air conditioner units and how to remedy the situation.
1. Insufficient Refrigerant
Refrigerant is one of the most important components in your air conditioner unit. Refrigerant is used to absorb heat and remove it from your indoor environment. The most common forms of refrigerant are referred to as Freon or Puron, and an inadequate amount of refrigerant can cause your AC unit a variety of different problems. Your air conditioner unit may begin to overtax other mechanisms in its system, and the refrigerant often freezes over time. Ultimately, this leads to your air conditioner having an insufficient ability to properly cool your home.
Low refrigerant is often the result of a leakage problem in your AC unit. You can recognize a low refrigerant issue from a variety of different symptoms. If you find that your air conditioner takes considerably longer to achieve the temperature that you want, then this is a clear sign that you may be experiencing low refrigerant. In fact, you may find that your air conditioner is unable to lower the temperature of your household at all. Moreover, if you can’t identify any other possible causes of your AC problems, then low refrigerant is a likely culprit.
Refilling your refrigerant is a relatively simple matter to fix. However, if you do not resolve a leakage problem that leads to insufficient refrigerant, then you will not permanently solve this problem. The best way to definitively solve low refrigerant is with the help of a professional HVAC technician. They will be able to identify where the leak is coming from and repair the issue so that you don’t continue to waste expensive refrigerant. They’ll also be able to refill your unit with the proper refrigerant for your HVAC system.
2. Poor Airflow
In order for your AC unit to function properly, it needs to maintain consistent and unobstructed airflow. If the airflow in your air conditioner is not sufficient, it can lead to a variety of more detrimental problems that include and contribute to your warm air problem. Issues from your airflow can be caused by a few different things. Old and dirty air filters can lead to obstructions in your airflow, and the increased debris in the air can result in frozen evaporator coils, clogged condensation lines, and diminished air quality. Malfunctioning fan systems can also be a primary cause for insufficient airflow, which can lead to permanent failure of your air conditioner unit. Dirty or leaking ducts can also impede the flow of air and diminish the quality of household air.
Ensuring that your air filters are clean is one of the most important aspects of proper AC unit maintenance. They should be replaced at least once every three months, and factors such as household pets can require you to replace them more often.
Warm air can also be an issue caused by a faulty fan. These problems can arise from worn-out belts, insufficient lubrication, or a bad motor. If you experience insufficient airflow, there is a possibility that these problems could exist simultaneously. If you want a sure diagnosis of this issue, an HVAC technician can help you get to the root of this problem.
3. Frozen Evaporator Coils
The evaporator coils in your air conditioner unit house the refrigerant that absorbs heat from your air. If your AC unit has poor airflow or low refrigerant, your evaporator coils can freeze. Frozen evaporator coils can lead to insufficient cooling of your household air and water leakage inside your air conditioner system. Ensuring that the unit’s air filters are regularly replaced prevents these problems from occurring. A small investment in proper maintenance will provide big financial savings in the future.
4. Clogged Condenser Coils
While evaporator coils cool the air for your indoor environment, condenser coils air responsible for releasing warm air outside. Due to their outdoor position, they are exposed to a considerable amount of garbage, dirt, leaves, and other forms of outdoor debris. If condenser coils do not receive regular cleaning, they can clog up and lead to warm air blowing through your AC unit.
Cleaning your condenser coils is the best way to avoid clogging and prevent warm-air buildup from this component. While some individuals may be tempted to clean them out on their own, regular preventive air conditioning maintenance is much more effective and highly recommended to ensure that your air conditioner receives all the necessary cleaning procedures it needs for optimal performance.
5. Thermostat Issues
Proper thermostat function is critical to the performance of your air conditioner unit. There are a variety of factors that you need to consider for proper thermostat functioning. Ensuring that your thermostat functions well can be as simple as replacing the batteries in your unit. However, if the batteries in your thermostat function properly, then there may be more complicated problems with your AC unit.
If your thermostat works well, but the air in your household is still too warm, then you may need to inspect the condition of your capacitor. Capacitors are primarily responsible for delivering the proper amount of energy that your air conditioner needs to function. Capacitors weaken over time, and without proper maintenance, your AC unit can malfunction.
How to Remedy Your AC Unit Problems
When your air conditioner is blowing hot air, the first thing you want to do is shut your HVAC system off. You don’t want to risk the possibility of causing further problems, and shutting off your AC while it is blowing warm air ensures that you aren’t wasting money. To ensure that you properly rectify the problems that your air conditioner unit is experiencing, you need to be able to identify the exact cause. To do this, you should consult the help of a professional HVAC specialist to determine the problem.
If you’re experiencing warm air from your AC unit, we suggest contacting our HVAC specialists at Protek Roofing, Heating, Air & Solar. We help residents in Tampa, FL and the surrounding areas with a complete array of air conditioner and HVAC services that include repair, tune-ups, replacements, and preventive maintenance. Additionally, we are experienced in providing other home solutions, such as roofing services, indoor air quality products, duct cleaning, and solar products. Financing options and maintenance agreements are available. To learn more about how we can help you fix your AC problems, contact Protek Roofing, Heating, Air & Solar by phone or through our online contact form.
