Throughout the summer, you may experience an issue or two with your home air conditioning system. One of the most frustrating is your air conditioner blowing warm air. Here, we’ll discuss the most common reasons this happens and what you can do to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.
Bad Thermostat Settings
One reason you may be getting hot air out of your vents is that you have your thermostat set wrong. Check to make sure it isn’t set to heat instead of cool. Additionally, check your blower fan setting. The blower fan should be set to auto, so it’s only blowing air when your air conditioner is running.
If you have the blower fan set to on, it will run constantly. If your air conditioner is off, the blower fan could still be circulating the hot air in your home throughout your vents.
Dirty Air Filter
One of the most common reasons your air conditioner could be blowing hot air is its air filter is dirty. The air filter is great for trapping unwanted airborne contaminants before they reach the inside of your air conditioner. However, when the filter gets too full of debris, it acts as a wall that prevents free airflow through your ducting. This can restrict the amount of cool air you feel coming out of your vents.
Fortunately, this is a very easy fix. All you need to do is pull the filter out of its housing in the return ducting and examine it. Hold the filter up to a light. If you can’t see through it, it’s time for a replacement. Be sure to check your filter every month and replace it promptly when necessary.
Blocked Condenser Unit
Another common reason your AC may be blowing hot air is that its condenser unit is blocked. Just like an overly dirty air filter will restrict airflow, so will debris that gets stuck against your outdoor condenser unit. When there’s too much debris, the heat from your air conditioner is unable to release into the outdoor air.
This is another easy fix for any homeowner. Simply remove any debris surrounding your outdoor condenser unit. It’s a good rule of thumb to leave about three feet of open space around your condenser unit. Trim back any shrubbery or trees within a few feet of your unit to prevent further issues throughout the long summer season.
Low Refrigerant Level
Refrigerant is the lifeblood of your air conditioning system, which is responsible for removing heat from inside your home. It safely moves to the outdoor condenser unit to release the heat into the outdoor air. Unfortunately, if your air conditioner doesn’t have enough refrigerant in its lines and coils, it won’t be able to remove an adequate amount of heat from the air inside your home.
Instead, the hot air in your home will simply circulate throughout your ducting and blow hot air out all of your vents. It’s best to have one of our HVAC professionals assess your air conditioner for a refrigerant leak. Once we can properly repair the leak, we can recharge your system’s refrigerant level to restore its proper functioning.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Your air conditioner’s outdoor condenser has its own subpanel disconnect box. This allows you to shut off the unit for things like maintenance. Unfortunately, if the circuit breaker trips for that subpanel, it will kill the power going to your condenser unit.
The indoor air handler unit, with its blower components, will still work to circulate air throughout your ducting. Since the compressor in the outdoor condenser unit isn’t properly circulating refrigerant, your AC won’t be able to remove heat from your indoor air. You can easily check the circuit breaker for your outdoor condenser unit. If it’s tripped, simply reset it, and your unit should go back to working fine.
Malfunctioning Compressor Pump
If the circuit breaker isn’t tripped for your outdoor condenser unit, the problem may be with your compressor pump. If the pump isn’t working, your unit won’t cool. If you’ve checked some of these other culprits to no avail, the issue may simply lie with your AC compressor pump. One of our helpful HVAC technicians can easily assess your compressor and replace it if necessary.
Dirty Coils
Another reason you may have hot air coming out of your vents is that your evaporator and condenser coils are dirty. Refrigerant travels through these coils and works to absorb heat from inside your home at the evaporator coil inside the indoor air handler unit. Then, the outdoor condenser coil will release the heat into the air outside.
If there is too much grime atop the coils, it will restrict the ability of the refrigerant to remove heat from the air. Eventually, the refrigerant flowing inside your coils will get very cold because it isn’t absorbing heat, which will cause the coils to freeze.
If you notice your coils are frozen, it’s best to turn your air conditioner off and let it thaw out. It can be highly advantageous to have one of our HVAC professionals clean your system’s coils with a specialized cleaner. This is a tough cleaning solution that’s intended to remove nasty stuck-on grime without damaging your coils.
Ductwork Leaks
The culprit behind your hot air may not be your air conditioner at all. It may actually be with your ducting. If your ducting has major leaks, it can allow the cold air to escape into your wall and floor crevices instead of making it to the rooms of your home. This is common if your ductwork is over 15 years old. One of our technicians can do a visual inspection of your ducting and repair any leaks to restore the normal functioning of your air conditioning system.
Electrical Issues
Your air conditioning system has many electrical components that all must function correctly for it to adequately cool your home. All it takes is one electrical malfunction to cause warm air to come out of your vents.
One common malfunction is a fuse or contactor issue with the outdoor condenser unit. If a fuse blows, it will kill power to the condenser unit. Additionally, if a contactor is corroded, it may fail to send an electrical signal to the compressor. These issues can happen due to power surges, overheating, or simply aging. Our technicians can easily assess the root cause of the problem and repair it swiftly for your convenience.
Routine Maintenance Service
One of the absolute best ways to significantly minimize your risk of experiencing major air conditioner malfunctions is to get routine maintenance service. We recommend service in the early spring to catch any problems before you need to rely on your unit every day to stay comfortable. We currently have a Friends and Family Club maintenance plan you can join, so you never forget to get service for your AC unit.
Reliable AC Repair Service
Summit Heating, A/C, Plumbing & Electrical offers reliable AC repair service for the Denver, CO area. We can also help with all your AC replacement, installation, and maintenance needs. Call our friendly office staff today to schedule your next service appointment.
