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

When it’s scorching outside, you trust your AC system to keep things balmy inside. But is your AC taking too long to cool down the house? This is familiar on sweltering days, which strain your cooling harder than average. However, if it’s not particularly hot outside and your AC is still having a tough time, your air conditioner might have a problem. Use these tips to help you resolve 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 job of a filter is to capture airborne particles that may damage sensitive HVAC equipment. More advanced filters even trap microscopic airborne particles to enhance indoor air quality.

As time passes, the filter becomes blocked up with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, limiting circulation. Besides making the AC unit take longer to cool down the house, this issue can also lead to larger energy bills, increased wear and tear, and overheating.

Solution: Check your air filter once a month and change it if it appears dirty. Don’t wait longer than three months to exchange the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re unsure where your air filter is, check with a local HVAC technician at your next service visit.

Improper Thermostat Settings

Your thermostat needs to be compatible with your AC system to work effectively. Then, you need to set it correctly to reach a nice temperature. Installing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat offers the best results.

Solution: If you want to upgrade your thermostat, require help learning about programmable options, or aren’t comfortable programming a thermostat by yourself, contact an HVAC technician at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for support.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Split-system air conditioners have an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit contains the evaporator coil, which takes in heat from the air via the refrigerant. It’s hard for the refrigerant to absorb heat properly if the evaporator coil is dirty, making it take more time to cool down the house.

Solution: Get in touch with our HVAC experts to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this call involves clearing away dust and grime from the evaporator coil to boost cooling performance.

Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit

Your AC system’s cooling cycle involves moving heated refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it exhausts heat to the exterior. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or covered with encroaching plants, the cooling cycle might be less efficient.

Solution: Gently hose off the outdoor unit to remove dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, prune back bushes to a minimum of 12 inches from the unit to enhance ventilation.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is an essential tool to effective cooling. Normally, this substance flows in a closed loop back and forth between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak occurs and your AC loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and expelling heat from your home.

Solution: Only a licensed technician can correct refrigerant leaks and recharge the system. If you believe your AC is struggling with this problem, get in touch with our HVAC experts for help in no time.

Leaky Ductwork

Air ducts are the highways of your HVAC system. A leak on either the return or supply side can make your air conditioner run harder and longer maintain comfortable temperatures.

Solution: If you are dealing with uneven temperatures and high amounts of dust throughout the house, get ahold of Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to examine your ventilation. Duct sealing or replacement can resolve the problem.

Dirty or Blocked Air Vents

Conditioned air can only move throughout your home when the vents are open and unobstructed. Shutting too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, leading to more breakdowns and repair costs.

Solution: Take a look at the vents in every room, making sure they’re open and unblocked by furniture, rugs or curtains.

Old or Poorly Sized AC System

Did you set up your cooling more than 10 to 15 years ago? As time passes, the unit becomes less efficient and could be unable to maintain steady cooling. Furthermore, have you recently built a home add-on or made other improvements? This could leave you with an undersized air conditioner that will struggle to keep up with demand.

Solution: The only fix for an old or undersized air conditioner is to swap it out. Count on our certified 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 contact the HVAC experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We provide fast, effective service to get your HVAC system back up and running right away. You can count on the fact that our technicians stick to the highest standards of support to ensure your long-term peace of mind. Contact us to arrange air conditioning repair or any other HVAC services today.