Air conditioners are supposed to keep a room cool when it’s warm outside, so when it starts blowing warm air, it can make for a sticky situation (no pun intended). AC units are complicated machines which can make it difficult for homeowners to determine the problem on their own. Your best bet is to call in the professional cooling technicians for an inspection, but with a little bit of research, you might be able to identify the root cause. So, the next time you feel your air conditioner blowing warm air, follow this simple checklist:
Check the Thermostat
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The temperature control is the brain center of the AC unit. By setting the thermostat to a particular value, the unit tries to maintain the internal temperature at that setting. Modern thermostats have an “auto” function that does the cooling and an “on” function that simply uses the unit’s fan circulate the air. If the “on” function is selected, it might seem as though the unit is blowing warm air, when in reality the compressor system is not engaged and no cooling is actually taking place. If the “on” function is selected, switch it to the “auto” function and see if that resolves the problem.
Check the Air Filter
The air filter ensures that the recycled air within the system is clean with the particulate matter removed. Over time, this filter can become quite dirty, even clogged with particulate matter. When this happens, the air flow to the condenser is restricted, potentially causing the condenser to freeze up and not cool the air anymore. Keeping the air filter clean is a very important part of air conditioner maintenance. Change your filter regularly to ensure the unit functions efficiently and effectively.
Dirty Condenser
Condenser units make up the external part of an AC unit and a condenser that is dirty can lead to problems with cooling. The condenser coils need to be in contact with the outside air in order to efficiently transfer heat. If these coils are dirty, then there is little to no heat transfer occurring from the refrigerant to the exterior. The unit can’t cool and can only blow warm air. AC maintenance should be done regularly in order to prevent condenser coils from becoming gunked up with dirt and debris.
Regular HVAC Tune Up with Princeton Heating and Cooling
In order to keep a HVAC unit functioning properly, schedule regular inspections by a trusted AC repair company to ensure your system will be working properly all summer long. Contact Princeton Fuel Oil Heating & Air Conditioning to discuss all your heating and cooling needs. If you experience an AC blowing warm air in the middle of a heat wave, our HVAC experts can help. It’s also a good idea to schedule a spring check-up for your AC unit, to prevent any unexpected emergencies. We can inspect your HVAC unit and make sure that you’re cool and comfortable indoors when it’s sticky and hot outdoors.