There is nothing better than coming home to a cool, comfortable environment on a hot summer day. When the heat of summer is at its worst, your air conditioner is your last line of defense against serious discomfort. That is exactly why any problems with your air conditioner should be dealt with immediately. Ignoring “minor” problems with your AC is only going to give those problems the opportunity that they need to get worse, negatively affect your comfort, and potentially do costly damage.
Not all problems with an air conditioner are easily ignored, of course. Certain issues will elicit more concern than others. With the exception of an air conditioner that has broken down entirely, one that blows warm air is probably the most alarming situation a homeowner can face. If your air conditioner in Arlington, VA is blowing warm air, we have some tips to help you determine the proper course of action.
Rule Out Issues with Simple Solutions
While there are definitely some underlying problems that can cause warm air to blow from an AC that are quite serious, certain others are very benign. In fact, some of the most common reasons for encountering this problem will not even demand professional attention. You can resolve them on your own with minimal effort.
Before you call our number to have your air conditioner serviced, for instance, you should always double check your thermostat settings. Yes, this does sound incredibly obvious. In the heat of the moment, however, homeowners can overlook “obvious” issues as they rush to have the problem fixed. If your thermostat is in a fan only mode, it will just circulate unconditioned air throughout the house. If you have a heat pump, you may have even accidentally switched it over to its heating mode!
If the problem does not appear to stem from the thermostat settings, you should peek outside to see if your outdoor unit is running. If it is not, check your circuit breaker. The indoor and outdoor units are almost certainly running on separate circuits. If the breaker to the outdoor unit tripped, it will leave the indoor unit running by itself, resulting in warm air blowing from the vents. You can resolve this problem with the simple flip of a switch.
Some Problems Demand Professional Attention
The issues above are best-case scenarios. You may have a much more serious issue at hand, which is why it is so important that you have any problems without obvious causes assessed professionally and promptly. A major concern is a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is evaporated in the indoor coil of the system, and this process draws heat out of the air surrounding and passing over the coil. If there is not enough refrigerant in the system, it will struggle to complete this heat transfer. Continuing to run a system that is low on refrigerant can result in costly and even irrevocable damage to the compressor.
Leaky ductwork is another concern. While not necessarily as catastrophic as a refrigerant leak, leaky air ducts should still be professionally sealed ASAP. They let warm air from unconditioned areas of the home into the system, and they put a lot of added strain on the AC. We can handle this service for you, too.
Schedule your air conditioning services with the professionals here at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.