When your air conditioner switches on during a stifling, muggy summer day in Wilmington, NC, the last thing you want to feel is hot instead of cold air coming from it. This is a sure sign that something’s wrong with your AC, and there are a number of things that can cause your cooling system to put out hot air. Below are some of the top reasons why this can occur.
Clogged or Dirty Air Filter
This is one of the easiest things you can check for, and you don’t need a professional technician to help you do it. Simply pull out the filter and examine it. If it looks like it’s dirty, then this could be the reason your AC isn’t generating cold air. When an air filter gets too dirty or clogged, this can hinder its job of collecting debris and other particulates. When these things build up on the filter, cold air can’t get through so easily. Your AC will try and work harder to do its job, which can result in it blowing warm air.
Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for this. Just replace your air filter with a new one. The standard recommendation is to do this about every 90 days. If you have pets or smokers in the house, you may want to replace your filter sooner than this. This simple task should be on the checklist of every homeowner when it comes to HVAC maintenance. While there are many issues only trained technicians can handle, you can tackle filter changes yourself.
Refrigerant Leak
This is one of the more serious problems that can cause your AC to blow hot air. The system’s coolant level is a big part of the process of how it cools your home. If this level is too low, or it’s leaking out somewhere, your air conditioner will start pushing warmer air throughout your home.
As refrigerant is a dangerous substance, do not attempt any sort of system inspection if you think there’s a leak. Please call the experienced team at Green Dot Heating & Air as soon as possible, and we’ll send out our technicians who have the qualifications to handle coolant issues. We’ll examine your unit and let you know if you just need a refill or if a repair is in order.
Leaking Ductwork
Since you can’t see inside your home’s ducts, you may not ever consider how they could cause the issue of hot air circulating throughout your home. If you have a leak somewhere in your ductwork, the cold air from the AC will get pushed out through the leak. The end result is that your rooms aren’t getting the cool air. This is another problem for which you need a trained technician, who will inspect your ductwork and perform the necessary patching and sealing.
Problems With the Thermostat
Similar to your ductwork, you may not think too often about your HVAC system’s thermostat, except when you go and set the temperature. However, if you have a calibration issue with your thermostat, or you’re having problems with wrong settings, your air conditioner won’t respond like it should, and it could start emitting warm instead of hot air.
When it comes to your thermostat, you can check the battery and see if it just needs a fresh one put in. Also, make sure it’s set to AUTO and not ON. If neither of these solves the issue, though, then it can mean there’s something wrong with the wiring, for example. This requires the assistance of a professional to diagnose and repair.
Circuit Breaker Got Tripped
If a strong storm came through Wilmington, or your home lost power for some other reason, your circuit breakers can end up tripping. If this happens, your air conditioner might not reset as it should, and it could end up blowing out hot air when it starts running.
It’s easy to check the breaker box and look for the switch specific to your AC. If flipping this breaker doesn’t correct the problem, you may have a more serious underlying electrical issue within the system.
Outdoor Unit Not Functioning
Your air conditioner consists of two main sections, an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit may work fine, but problems with the outdoor unit could cause the system to not operate normally, and it might start pushing out hot air.
Due to the delicate, interconnected parts of your outdoor AC unit, make sure to enlist a certified technician to come out and assess it for issues.
Frozen or Dirty Evaporator Coils
An air conditioner’s evaporator coils have the important job of cooling the incoming air via the system’s refrigerant. Coils that get too dirty will not function properly, and you may start noticing warmer air coming from the AC. Also, coils that end up frozen, such as due to low levels of refrigerant, will not work as they should.
Like with some other problems mentioned here, hire an experienced pro to check the coils and see if they just need some cleaning.
Bad Compressor
As its name suggests, the compressor part of your air conditioner helps compress the coolant that the evaporator coils then use to cool down the air. If it can’t do its job, then you won’t get cool air circulating around your home. The compressor is not something an untrained homeowner can inspect or repair. Call in your local HVAC experts to check out your AC’s compressor and determine if it needs a repair or a replacement.
Other Indications You Need an AC Repair
The above are among the main reasons why your cooling unit will push out hot air. However, warm air is not the only thing that can go wrong with your AC. There are other things you should be on the lookout for if you’ve started noticing your home isn’t as cool and comfortable as it should be during the summer.
Weird Noises
Sounds like rattling, whistling, banging, and grinding are not at all normal. If you’re hearing any one of these, or all of them at one time or another, reach out to Green Dot Heating & Air to set up repair service.
Odd Odors
Like strange noises, bad smells coming from your AC are a big concern. You may have a dead animal somewhere within the ductwork, or you could have an electrical problem. Things like mold can also cause foul odors. Regardless of the cause, technicians from Green Dot Heating & Air can figure out what’s up.
High Energy Bills
An inefficient AC will strain itself as it attempts to complete its cycles. When your system has to work harder to achieve its goal of cooling your home, the result of this will be ever-increasing utility bills. When your bills start getting out of control, it’s time to have a professional perform an assessment.
Your Comfort Team in Wilmington
When you require an AC repair in Wilmington, trust in the team from Green Dot Heating & Air. Ours is an established business with 20 years of experience serving the community. Among our objectives are to promote customer satisfaction and offer tailored solutions to problems. We can help with AC maintenance and installations as well as heating system services. We’re also proficient with smart thermostats and ductless mini-splits. Call Green Dot Heating & Air today for air conditioning repair in Wilmington.
