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

When it’s sizzling outside, you depend on your cooling to keep things cool inside. But is your air conditioner taking forever to cool down the house? This is common on sweltering days, which push your cooling harder than usual. However, if it’s not especially hot outside and your air conditioner is still struggling, your air conditioner could have a problem. Use these tips to help you resolve the issue.

Dirty Air Filter

A clogged filter is the most common reason an AC system takes too long to lower the temperature of the house. The purpose of a filter is to snare airborne pollutants that might harm your HVAC equipment. More advanced filters even trap microscopic airborne contaminants to enhance indoor air quality.

Eventually, the filter becomes blocked up with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, reducing circulation. Besides making an air conditioner take longer to cool down the house, this issue can also result in higher energy bills, increased wear and tear, and overheating.

Solution: Check your air filter every month and change it if it seems dirty. Try not to wait more than three months to replace the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re uncertain where the air filter is, talk to a local HVAC technician at your next service visit.

Improper Thermostat Settings

Your thermostat has to be compatible with your air conditioner to run effectively. Then, you have to set it correctly to sustain a nice temperature. Employing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat provides the best results.

Solution: If you want to update your thermostat, need help learning about programmable settings, or aren't comfortable programming a thermostat yourself, get in touch with an HVAC technician at Calverley Service Experts for help.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Split-system air conditioners need an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit contains the evaporator coil, which absorbs heat from the air using refrigerant. It’s challenging for the refrigerant to hold onto heat properly if the evaporator coil is dirty, making it take longer to lower the temperature of your house.

Solution: Get in touch with our HVAC professionals to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this call consists of removing dirt and grime from the evaporator coil to enhance cooling performance.

Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit

A cooling cycle requires transporting warm refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it ventilates heat into the outdoor air. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or overgrown with encroaching yard waste, the cooling process could be less successful.

Solution: Carefully clean the outdoor unit to eliminate dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, cut back bushes to a minimum of 12 inches from the unit to improve airflow.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is an essential tool to air conditioning. Typically, this substance flows in a closed loop among the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your cooling loses refrigerant, it becomes less capable of absorbing and releasing heat from your home.

Solution: Only a trained technician can correct refrigerant leaks and replenish the system. If you think you're dealing with this problem, call our HVAC specialists for help straight away.

Leaky Ductwork

Air ducts are vital to your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side might make your air conditioner work harder and longer maintain comfortable temperatures.

Solution: If you are dealing with irregular temperatures and an excessive amount of dust around the house, contact Calverley Service Experts to take a look at your air ducts. Duct sealing or replacement can fix the problem.

Dirty or Blocked Air Vents

Conditioned air can only move around your home if the supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Shutting too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, resulting in increased breakdowns and repair costs.

Solution: Inspect the vents all through the house, ensuring they’re open and unobstructed by furniture, carpets or window treatments.

Aging or Inadequately Sized Air Conditioner

Did you install your air conditioner more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it gets older, the unit becomes less effective and may struggle to maintain a comfortable home. Additionally, have you recently built a home extension or made other modifications? This may lead to an undersized air conditioner that will struggle to keep up with demand.

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

Schedule AC Repair with Calverley Service Experts

If your troubleshooting efforts prove ineffective, feel free to contact the HVAC specialists at Calverley Service Experts. We provide fast, effective support to get your cooling back up and running as quickly as possible. You can rest easy knowing our technicians practice the highest standards of care to ensure your long-term comfort. Contact us to arrange air conditioning repair or any other HVAC services today.