Why Is My Air Conditioner Blowing Warm Air?
When you are using your air conditioning system, you expect it to get rid of the warm air and leave your space feeling cool and comfortable. You do not want to feel hot in your home. So, what exactly happens when your air conditioner starts producing a bunch of warm air instead of cool air? Not only are you going to feel frustrated, but you might assume that you will need to throw the unit out and purchase a new one that will cost you hundreds of dollars.
The good news is that you might not need to replace your air conditioner, but you will likely need to have it repaired. An HVAC expert can perform different services to get your air conditioner working the way that it should when you are using it inside the home.
The Main Reasons For an Air Conditioner to Produce Warm Air
Before you have anything done to the air conditioner, you need to know of some of the primary reasons for it to produce warm air instead of the cold air that you would expect it to provide. Check out the following reasons why you might experience this issue with your air conditioning unit:
1. Your Air Filter Needs a Good Cleaning or Replacement
The air filter inside the air conditioner can easily get clogged. Pieces of dust and dirt start building up, causing a blockage that keeps the cold air from being released. If the filter becomes too dirty, the air cannot circulate through it correctly. Unfortunately, that means the unit may begin producing more warm air instead of cool air.
You would need to take your unit apart to access the filter and find out if it is covered in dust and dirt. If so, you might need to replace the filter or have it cleaned to get your unit to function again. If you cannot find a replacement filter, or if you do not know how to clean your filter correctly, you can hire an expert to assist you.
2. Your Unit Needs More Refrigerant
The refrigerant is an essential part of any air conditioning system. The liquid is what begins absorbing the warm air inside the property and then transforms that warm air into cold air. If your unit is low on refrigerant, there is likely some type of leak that is going on. When a leak occurs, it is usually caused by some kind of damage to the unit’s exterior. The damage can occur due to the elements and/or vibrations that occur. When you have a refrigerant leak, an HVAC expert could check for damage and holes, repair those issues, and add more refrigerant to your unit to get it to produce more than enough cold air again.
3. The Return Duct Is Slightly Damaged
Your unit may produce warm air because there is damage to the return duct. The return duct continuously recycles the cool air inside a building to keep the cold air flowing on hot days. It is a critical component, but if there is some damage to the duct, your air conditioner might not work the same way that it worked before. If you are only getting warm air from your unit, have an HVAC expert check the return duct for damage. If it is disconnected, corroded, or broken in some way, you need to get it replaced to get your air conditioner to function correctly again.
4. The Condenser Coils Are Clogged
The condenser coils are attached to your air conditioning unit’s exterior. Just like the interior air filter, these coils can end up clogged by dirt and debris that eventually causes problems for you when you are trying to keep your home feeling cool. You could end up with pieces of leaves and other junk attached to these coils that are preventing your air conditioner from producing cool air. When clogged condenser coils are a problem, the HVAC expert can clear them out and clean them off.
When you run into an issue with your air conditioning system, and you do not know what to do, it is best to contact an HVAC expert. If you continuously need to keep your unit at a lower temperature, but it is still not producing cool air, have your problem addressed by a professional. The HVAC expert can carefully examine your unit to find out why it is producing warm air instead of cool air.
Once the issue with your unit gets diagnosed by the expert, the HVAC professional will then work on completing the necessary services to get your unit to run smoothly for you again. By contacting an AC service expert, you can save more money and likely avoid the extra expense of buying an entirely new unit by simply getting the one you currently own fixed.