Every聽time your air conditioner聽turns on, it should run for聽a while聽minutes before聽shutting down聽again. The聽entire聽process is聽called聽a cooling cycle, and it’s聽key聽to how your HVAC system聽maintains聽comfortable indoor temperatures. So if you’ve noticed your AC keeps聽switching聽off, comfort can be聽tougher聽to maintain.
There are聽several聽reasons why your air conditioner keeps聽shutting聽off, but one of the most common聽reasons聽is short cycling. This聽irritating聽HVAC problem involves cooling cycles that aren’t long enough to make聽effective聽use of your air conditioner. It may keep聽turning聽off before your home has a chance to cool down. We’ll聽review聽a few details of what short cycling is and where it聽comes from. Then, we’ll聽share聽a few more separate reasons your cooling equipment keeps聽shutting down.
Your Air Conditioner聽May聽Be Short Cycling
When an air conditioner short cycles, it聽switches聽off before reaching the聽desired聽temperature. It may not be long before the thermostat聽notices聽this and instructs the AC to聽turn on聽again. But since there’s a problem, the air conditioner will continue to short cycle. This聽will聽extend the time聽necessary聽to cool your home while聽putting聽extra strain on聽important聽components. If left alone too long, short cycling聽may聽even lead to premature聽equipment聽failure.
5 Problems That聽May聽Lead to Your Air Conditioner Short Cycling
Another聽tedious聽part聽of short cycling is the number of聽potential聽causes. In general, a lot of short-cycling issues can be聽traced back to聽overheating. But the excess heat could just be the symptom of another unknown聽problem. During聽air conditioner repair, a technician will聽look聽for a few of the most common things to start narrowing down the root cause.
- Overheating:聽Excessive聽heat can ruin components inside your air conditioner. Safety features聽should聽detect overheating and shut the AC off to protect聽delicate聽parts. But if the original problem hasn’t been聽resolved, this process just starts over again.
- Poor Airflow:聽Your HVAC system聽requires聽steady聽airflow to聽run聽at safe, optimal temperatures. When the air filter or ductwork is clogged,聽the lack of聽circulation leads to overheating, which means short cycling.
- Wrong AC Sizing:聽HVAC equipment should be聽properly聽“sized” for your home. This means that the power of your air conditioner聽suits聽the cooling needs of your home. An air conditioning system that’s too聽large聽will聽pump out聽cool air too聽fast, tricking the system into聽switching聽off early before the entire house is cooled down.
- Dirty Condenser Coils:聽This component聽removes聽the heat collected from inside your home. When the coils聽get聽too dirty, this heat聽can聽end up in the air conditioner. The high levels of heat聽might聽be enough to聽result in聽a premature shutdown.
- Thermostat location:聽The thermostat should be in a聽central聽location away from a vent or the HVAC equipment itself. This ensures聽every聽room of the house has cooling for long enough to reach the set temperature.聽Keeping聽your thermostat too close to cool air can聽trick聽it into thinking the temperature has been reached earlier.
Short cycling is聽a complicated聽problem ideal for the tools and knowledge of a professional technician. But there are still other reasons your air conditioner聽may be聽shutting off unexpectedly. Let’s take a look.
Some聽Other Reasons Your AC Keeps聽Switching聽Off
Electrical Malfunction:聽Any number of malfunctions with the wiring or an electrical switch聽could聽lead to聽constant聽shutdowns. Maybe the wiring is old or damaged, but electrical problems聽generally require聽professional care for a prompt, safe solution.
Compressor Failure:聽This聽vital聽component聽uses聽pressure to force heat out of the refrigerant before it’s聽vented out聽from your home. When the component fails, a safety switch聽will聽recognize the pressure change and聽direct聽the air conditioner to shut off.
Refrigerant Leak:聽Your refrigerant聽holds聽and releases heat, making it one of the most important聽parts聽in your HVAC system. A leak can be聽catastrophic, as the coils designed to hold the coolant are expensive to replace. It’s important to聽move聽quickly if you suspect a leak to聽prevent聽premature air conditioning replacement.
Clogged Condensate Line:聽When humidity is condensed into moisture during the cooling process, the condensate line safely drains it away. When the line or drain pan is clogged up, a float switch聽stops聽the AC before half of it is running underwater.
Stop Short Cycling in Its Tracks with聽天美传媒
If your air conditioner is short-cycling, call a professional technician with聽天美传媒. They can quickly聽identify聽the root cause, working toward a solution that protects the rest of your HVAC system from the wear and tear of short cycling. To schedule an appointment or request an appointment, call (866) 963-7996 today.
