Before long, the hottest weather of the season is really going to hit us. It is then going to stick around for quite a while, and your air conditioner is going to be challenged with the considerable task of keeping your home a cool and comfortable environment. Considering just how consistently warm the summer weather can be, it is obvious that any problems with your air conditioner are cause for serious concern. One of the most alarming is an air conditioner that is blowing warm air.
The silver lining here is that, shy of a complete system breakdown, this is also perhaps the most obvious sign that your air conditioner in Clovis, CA is in trouble. That may not sound too comforting, but this means that you can recognize the problem quickly and resolve it promptly, helping to reverse the situation before a serious toll is taken. There is also a good chance that the problem is not as serious as it seems in the first place.
Yes, It May Be a Serious Issue…
First things first; you may need to contact a professional repair technician if your air conditioner is blowing warm air. While not necessarily a sign that your system is in serious trouble, this particular problem — like most other AC issues — has a few different potential causes. Some of them are quite serious.
Chief among the more serious causes of an AC blowing warm is a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is the heat transfer fluid that air conditioners use to actually facilitate the heat transfer process. When refrigerant evaporates in the system’s evaporator coil, it draws heat out of the air surrounding and passing over that coil. The refrigerant then travels outside, and is condensed in the condenser unit. This allows the heat to be dispersed via the condenser coils.
If there is not enough refrigerant in the system — signifying a leak, as the AC does not consume refrigerant — the system is going to have to work harder than it should have to in order to remove heat from your home. This strains the compressor, negatively affects your comfort, and puts your system and your budget at risk.
Another problem requiring professional attention is leaking ductwork. Your air ducts likely pass through unconditioned areas of your home, such as an attic or inner wall-space. If this is the case, and there are leaks in the ducts at these points, then the ducts may pull hot air into the system. This too will strain your AC, leaving you to pay more even as your comfort declines.
…but There May Also Be a Simple Fix
Before you panic about what seems to be a serious air conditioning conundrum, though, there are a few items that you should check. It is very possible that you have a problem with a very simple solution on your hands. You won’t need our help to resolve problems such as:
- Improper thermostat settings. You may have switched a heat pump to heating mode accidentally, or you may have your AC in a fan-only mode.
- Tripped breakers. Your indoor and outdoor units are almost certainly running on separate circuits. If so, and the breaker on the outdoor unit’s circuit has tripped, the indoor unit will continue to run, but will not have cool air to distribute.
In such cases, tweaking your AC settings or flipping a breaker switch can solve the problem. If you see no obvious issue, schedule service with the AC pros at California Indoor Comfort Inc.
Where comfort and technology come together.