Nothing wrecks a summer weekend like a hot house on a hot day. Even worse when the air conditioner is on but not blowing cold air. When air conditioners malfunction, not blowing cold air is one of the most common problems.
At first, it might seem like an inconvenience that your air conditioner is not cooling the house. If this AC problem is not dealt with properly, running an AC that is not blowing cold air might put your whole AC in danger.
Fortunately, there are a number of known causes for air conditioners not blowing cold air. They range from power issues to clogged filters to dirty compressors.
Below, we have summarized the most common causes of why air conditioners stop blowing cold air.
8 Common Causes of “Air Conditioner Not Blowing Cold Air”
In some cases, you can pinpoint the problem yourself with the help of this guide. Some issues are relatively minor and can be fixed on your own but most will require a call to an HVAC professional.
- Basic Electrical Issues (Blown Fuse, Tripped Breaker)
Air conditioners require a surge of power when starting and when the rotary compressor starts working at 100%. It is likely you won’t notice either the blown fuse or 30A breaker tripped. What you are likely to notice is that your air conditioner was blowing cold air and all of a sudden the air conditioner stopped blowing cold air.
Everybody has an air conditioner plugged in. However, when the surge comes, two things can happen:
- A fuse is blown.
- Amp breaker is tripped.
To fix basic electrical issues that might be causing the problem, check if the fuse is blown or if the amp breaker has been tripped. Please note that many AC units have protection against extreme power surges. They use a built-in switch when the system is about to overload. Check if that switch has been flipped. If it has, flip it back, and see if the air conditioner started blowing cold air again.
- Faulty Thermostat
If your new air conditioner is blowing hot air, there is a chance that the thermostat is not wired properly. The improperly wired thermostat is quite a mess; a mess which may lead to some unusual things like hot air coming from your AC unit.
First, you may notice your system set to ON (fan mode). Believe it or not, the thermostat’s constant fan setting can cause your AC to blow warm air. Instead of fan mode, switch to your automated cool setting or AUTO.
The AUTO setting will turn off your unit automatically when the temperature gets too high. You can also switch to a manual mode and set the AC to the temperature of your choice.
- Clogged Filter
All of the air that the air conditioner outputs has to go through the air filters. That means that the total airflow can be restricted if the filters are clogged. If the airflow is restricted, many AC parts like compressor, motor and fan start to overcompensate to generate more airflow.
In short, dirty filters might seem inconsequential but it leads to serious AC issues. That is why many air conditioners have a built-in switch that shuts the AC unit down if the filters are too clogged. This will, obviously, result in the air conditioner not working properly and not delivering the cool air output.
- Frozen Coils
A frozen air conditioner is one of the most common reasons for warm air coming from your AC. The evaporator coils can freeze and prevent the unit from doing its job. The primary reasons for frozen coils include dirty air filters, a broken fan, blocked condensate lines or drains, or refrigerant leaks. If any of these happen, it sets off a chain of events: First, condensation can build up on the evaporator coils. That condensation then freezes and prevents the coils from absorbing heat. Not only can this lead to water around the unit, which can lead to further damage in your home, but it can also result in a breakdown of the compressor, which can be a costly repair.
To get rid of the ice, just run the air conditioner with the fan on, and the cooling system off. That will melt the accumulated ice and release the cooling coils. Only after the cooling coils are out of the ice shell you can start using the air conditioner properly.
- Malfunctioning Compressor
The compressor has one job: to compress the refrigerant. The compressed refrigerant is expended in the cooling coil which cools it down; this is the basics of how air conditioners work.
If there is any malfunction in the compressor, the refrigerant is not compressed fully. This means that the cooling coil will not be as cold as it should be. The air passing through the coil will not be cooled down enough which will result in our AC not blowing the chilly cold air.
To check if this is your issue, go to the outdoor unit, take off the panels, and check if there is any debris around the compressor. You might even notice an organic biofilm being formed around the compressor; that is mold and bacteria compromising your compressor.
Any HVAC professional will first clean the compressor and see if that will fix the “no cold air from AC” issue.
How Effective AC Maintenance Rewards You
The best way to maintain the quality of your system is to protect it against pressure and other mechanical challenges. Repairs, though often necessary, keep the unit going, but can never restore the unit to its original performance levels, which is why we advise working to protect the original performance standards in the first place, which will help save you energy and money. Helping ensure you can enjoy the benefits of your AC unit without putting you under a load of heavy utility bills.
Our Expert Assistance for AC Maintenance
Our technicians can help provide you with quick and easy tips for proper AC Maintenance in Perris, Riverside, and Moreno Valley, CA. There are a number of do-it-yourself things you can do on your own such as cleaning, installing proper protection against voltage fluctuation, etc.
However, for more advanced level maintenance, we suggest that you get in touch with our factory trained experts. We offer six month and annual AC Maintenance packages where we check, upgrade and restore the optimum performance levels of your AC setup. We make sure that every part of the unit is functioning properly, and if there is a need for repair or replacement, our technicians are ready with the right solution.
Save Energy, Save Money
We offer advanced AC Maintenance in Perris, Riverside, and Moreno Valley, CA plans dedicated to boosting the performance of your unit while reducing power consumption, which in the long run will help you save energy and money.
At Aire-Tech, our commitment is to provide quality service at the most cost effective price to our residential and commercial customers by offering world-class quality HVAC installation, repair and maintenance solutions.
Final Thoughts
As warm weather approaches, it is important to take a few preventative measures to protect your home through the scorching months. If you follow the Spring HVAC Maintenance Checklist above, your air conditioner will be in a prepared state entering the Spring and Summer months. That’s a pretty nice place to be if you ask me!
You can always count on the Aire-Tech to keep your home cool. Perhaps you need repairs, new thermostat installation, or preventative maintenance—whatever the HVAC issue is, Aire-Tech is ready to help. If your system needs repair or inspection before summer, call us on 951-926-1002. You can also visit our Contact page and complete the contact form.