Why Is My Central AC Not Blowing Cold Air and How Do I Solve It?

If you never skip regular maintenance to your air conditioner, the unit should be working properly. On the other hand, failing to maintain your AC unit may trigger various problems with its performance. One of them is that your central AC may stop blowing cold air.

It only means that your unit has a couple of problems that need to be addressed. Here’s the list of these issues and what you should do to resolve them:

• Check the air filter and clean or replace it if necessary
• Inspect the evaporator coils and clean them if they’re dirty
• Examine the condenser coils and clean them if they’re clogged
• Make sure that the air conditioner’s fans are working properly
• Check for refrigerant leaks
• If none of these issues are present, it’s likely that the refrigerant level is too low

Dirty Air Filter

This is the most common reason for a central AC not blowing cold air. When your air filter has dirt buildup on it, the cold air won’t be able to flow through. Hence, your room will not be optimally chilled. You can either clean the filter yourself or have it professionally cleaned. If you’re not comfortable cleaning it, then have a professional do it for you.

If this is the case, you need to replace your air filter with a new, clean one. Make sure to do this every six months.

Dirty Condenser

Located outdoors, the AC condenser unit is easily forgettable. Unfortunately, the unit may also get dirt buildup, which may cause your AC unit to be inefficient and perform poorly. However, regular HVAC condenser maintenance will help keep your unit clean and efficient.

There are a few signs that indicate you may need to have the AC condenser unit cleaned. If you notice any of these symptoms with your AC unit, it’s important to call in an HVAC technician for assistance:

• The unit is noisy
• The airflow from the AC system isn’t reaching all of your home or business
• Energy bills are increasing, even though you aren’t using the AC more than usual

To keep your condenser in optimal condition, be sure to clean any debris around it. Common debris includes leaves, grass clippings, dirt, and other debris. The condenser unit should be kept as clean as possible to ensure your system performs well.

Refrigerant Leak

A leak in the refrigerant pipe may cause the freon level to decrease. With too little refrigerant, your AC will not be able to absorb heat optimally, resulting in a failure to decrease the air temperature.

If this is the case, call a professional technician because fixing a refrigerant leak is not something you can D.I.Y.

Wrong Sized Unit

If your central AC unit hasn’t been able to blow cold air since the first time you installed it, then chances are your AC is the wrong size for your room. The room is probably too big for your AC’s capability, resulting in not-so-cold indoor air.

In this case, you need to have your AC recalculated by a professional HVAC company. If the AC is indeed undersized, it might cost you a lot of money to resolve this problem.

Broken Component

Just because your AC is on doesn’t mean every component in it works as it should. For example, your AC will continue working without blowing out the chilled air if the fan motor breaks. Another possibility is a damaged compressor, which prevents the unit from releasing heat outside. Hence, the heat will return to your room.

Here, what you need to do is get a total inspection from your technician. Damaged components might need replacement. But if it is the compressor that is broken, you might need a whole new AC unit.

Incorrect Thermostat Setting

If your AC is well-maintained, yet it’s not blowing cold air, then maybe your thermostat is in the wrong setting. Maybe it is still in “Auto” mode, or maybe you set the temperature too high.

If this is the problem, you simply need to reset it to the right level and turn it on.

The problems that may have caused your central AC unit to not blow cold air are mostly solvable. But after that, bear in mind that you need to start performing regular maintenance on your AC at least twice a year. If your AC keeps having this problem even if you are taking good care of it, there is a chance that your unit needs a total replacement.

There are a few things that can cause your central AC unit to stop blowing cold air. The most common problem is that the air filter is dirty and needs to be replaced. Another possibility is that the evaporator coils are frozen, which can happen if the unit is not getting enough airflow. If this is the case, you will need to thaw the coils before the unit will start blowing cold air again.

 

ECM Air Conditioning, with its headquarters located in Boynton Beach, FL, provides air conditioning services within Palm Beach County, Broward County, Martin County, and St. Lucie County. If you’re looking to have a new HVAC system installed, we’re on-call and ready to assist you. So if you’re in need of an HVAC installation, don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule an inspection! Our HVAC installation experts will check your ductwork, measure, check wire sizes, and more before making recommendations to ensure maximum efficiency and comfort. Call us at 561-295-1763 or contact our HVAC installation team online by clicking here.