Why Does the AC Take So Long to Cool Down the House?

When it’s scorching outside, you rely on your AC system to keep things comfortable inside. But is your AC taking a long time to cool down the house? This is common on sweltering days, which squeeze your air conditioner harder than average. However, if it’s not especially hot outside and your air conditioning is still having a hard time, your HVAC system might have a problem. Use these tips to help you diagnose the problem.

Dirty Air Filter

A clogged filter is the most frequent reason an air conditioning system needs too much time to cool the house. The purpose of a filter is to snare airborne particles that could damage delicate HVAC equipment. More efficient filters even catch tiny airborne allergens to increase indoor air quality.

Eventually, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, restricting the flow of air. Besides making your air conditioner take longer to cool down the house, this situation can also lead to more expensive energy bills, additional wear and tear, and overheating.

Solution: Check your air filter once a month and replace it if it seems dirty. Try not to wait more than three months to exchange the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re uncertain where the air filter can be found, check with an HVAC technician at your next service visit.

Improper Thermostat Settings

Your thermostat has to be compatible with your cooling to run effectively. Then, you must set it correctly to maintain a comfortable temperature. Employing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat offers the best results.

Solution: If you want to replace your thermostat, want help learning about programmable features, or may not feel comfortable programming a thermostat yourself, get in touch with an HVAC technician at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for help.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Split-system air conditioners have an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit houses the evaporator coil, which absorbs heat from the air using refrigerant. It’s hard for the refrigerant to soak up heat efficiently if the evaporator coil is dirty, making it take longer to lower the temperature of your house.

Solution: Call our HVAC specialists to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An important part of this call consists of removing dirt and grime from the evaporator coil to boost cooling efficiency.

Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit

Your AC system’s cooling cycle involves moving warm refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it exhausts heat to the exterior. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or overgrown with encroaching vegetation, the cooling process may be less successful.

Solution: Gently hose down the outdoor unit to remove dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, cut back bushes to at least 12 inches from the unit to enhance airflow.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is vital to air conditioning. Normally, this substance moves in a closed loop back and forth between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your cooling loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and dissipating heat from your home.

Solution: Only a licensed technician can mend refrigerant leaks and recharge the system. If you believe your AC is struggling with this problem, get in touch with our HVAC professionals for help right away.

Leaky Ductwork

Air ducts are the highways of your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side could make your air conditioner perform harder and longer to keep your home cool.

Solution: If you are dealing with irregular temperatures and an excessive amount of dust around the house, get ahold of Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to examine your air ducts. Duct sealing or replacement can resolve the problem.

Dirty or Blocked Air Vents

Conditioned air can only move throughout your home if the air vents are open and unobstructed. Closing too many vents can even mess with the system’s balance, resulting in increased breakdowns and repair costs.

Solution: Inspect the vents in every room, ensuring they’re open and unobstructed by furniture, carpeting or curtains.

Aging or Undersized Air Conditioner

Did you install your air conditioning more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it ages, the unit becomes less efficient and can be unable to maintain a comfortable home. Likewise, have you recently finished a home addition or made other changes? This can result in an undersized air conditioner that won’t always keep up with demand.

Solution: The only solution for an outdated or undersized air conditioner is to replace it. Count on our trained HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.

Schedule AC Repair with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

If your troubleshooting still proves ineffective, feel free to bring in the HVAC pros at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We provide fast, reliable support to get your AC back up and running as quickly as possible. You can count on the fact that our technicians practice the highest standards of support to ensure your long-term peace of mind. Contact us to request air conditioning repair or any other HVAC services today.