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Home » Blog » What Should You Do If Your Air Conditioner Is Blowing Warm Air?

What Should You Do If Your Air Conditioner Is Blowing Warm Air?

As the temperature continues to rise, your dependency on air conditioners increases. It is frustrating to come home after a long day at work and learn that your air conditioner has just let you down in the scorching summer season. You might also see that your air conditioner is dauntlessly blowing hot air.

If you have ever gone through the problem of blowing hot air instead of cool air in an air conditioner unit, then the issue can get on your nerves. Still, you don’t need to fret anymore as you are on the right page because here, you can learn everything about the root problem that causes your air conditioner to blow out hot air. Additionally, you can also see some solutions to overcome such problems.

Usually, when this happens, you will check the thermostat and see that the temperature is soaring well above the temperature you had set, but when you put your hand on one of the AC registers, you will find that AC is blowing hot air.

Reasons Your AC Is Blowing Warm Air And Its Solutions:

When it comes to AC blowing away warm air, which is a very regular problem, here are some of the potential reasons why this happens:

Reasons your AC is blowing warm air

Incorrectly Installed Thermostat:

According to experts, an air conditioner is blowing warm air because it has been incorrectly set. Your blower is blowing air all the time if it is set on for cooling, so it keeps running during the cooling cycles. At times, you might, by mistake, set your AC to a heat mode that leads to hot air. For instance, if the thermostat is incorrectly incorporated, you cannot set the desired room temperature, so you must check the thermostat’s batteries or have a smart AC controller.

The solution for this is to check if your blower fan is on and check your thermostat. If the blower fan is on, you need to change it to auto mode so that it runs only when the cooling cycles are on. Furthermore, you need to check the working of the thermostat. At times, the thermostat shows the wrong temperature readings if you have placed it incorrectly. You should take assistance of professional air conditioner thermostat repair services in San Diego to fix it.

You need to consider investing in smart AC controllers if you have ductless air conditioners like mini-split AC so that they can keep the temperature inside your room consistent. You need to get a smart thermostat if you have a central AC, as intelligent devices make your life a lot easier with their unique features, and you don’t need to worry about changing these settings all by yourself.

Return Vents Are Closed:

The closed top return registers are another reason your AC is blowing warm air. Due to the closing of top registers, the hot will stay inside the room and unable to reach the HVAC unit to cool down. Usually, during chilly winter, many of you may close the top return vents, especially when you have a central air conditioner.

There is also a possibility that you might have forgotten to reopen the top return vents. Sometimes, dirt and debris can block return vents, so you may feel warm air from your AC unit. When this problem arises, you need to walk around your space and check if all the return vents are open. If you are not able to figure out if the return vents are open or closed, you need to hold a tissue at least 6 inches away. The tissue will be pooled away if the vents are open. However, if the vents are open but your AC is still blowing hot air, you need to call AC tune up experts in San Diego.

Refrigerants Leak:

The fluid inside your AC is known as the refrigerant. It helps absorb heat from the air and makes your interior cool. In case of a refrigerant leak, the cooling agent inside AC will also reduce gradually. Hence after some time, the fluid inside your AC will not be enough to cool your space. In the case of low refrigerant fluids, the AC ends up blowing hot air.

Thus, it becomes a primary thing to check whether there is a refrigerant leak or not when you are experiencing hot air. How? Let’s find out.

Look at the evaporator and condenser coils to spot refrigerant leaks. However, they should be cold to touch, but definitely, they should not be frozen. Also, hissing noises is the tell-tale sign of refrigerant leaks. Even the high energy bills also indicate a leak in refrigerant. But it is not safe to fix the refrigerant leak by yourself. Call professional air conditioning repair services in San Diego instantly when you suspect refrigerant leaks.

Dirty Air Filters:

Another common reason behind your AC blowing warm air is a dirty air filter. The dirty air filters lead to airflow issues throughout the system and can also lead to overheating your fan motor. Moreover, they seek up extra energy leading to higher usage of power. You need to keep a tab on your dirty air filter if your AC constantly blows hot air. If your air filters are dirty, it is enough to inspect visually. Your air filters are clean if you can see clearly through them. Replace or clear the air filters if they get clogged due to excess dirt.

Ideally, it would be best to clean your air filters once every two weeks or replace them once in at least 3 to 4 months. Most important is to clear the air filters. All you have to do is simply wash them with the cleaning agent and then dry it properly.

Dirty Evaporator Coils:

The evaporator coil is known to hold chilled refrigerant as it removes the heat from the room when air from the blower fan moves from it. Condensation is the natural byproduct of this process. Coils get dirty when there is moisture on them, leading to dust particles sticking on them. The evaporator coil loses its cooling ability as it works through absorption, so the dirty evaporator coil can make your AC blow warm air. You can prevent this by turning your AC’s power and turning off the circuit breaker to be on the safe side. You need to check for the indoor access panel and, if possible, unscrew it first; if there is any dust, you need to check for the evaporator coil. Once every two months, you need to clean your evaporator coil using a soft bristle brush to remove all the dust particles on time. You also need to ensure that fans don’t bend while cleaning them.

The best way to maintain the overall working condition of the air conditioner is to opt for regular AC tune up services in San Diego. This will help in saving the additional cost when the machine stops working and gets damaged.

Frozen Evaporator Coils

Condensation happens when the evaporator coil removes the heat from the air in your space. As a result, we try to condensate, drain, or remove the moisture from the AC system. Water can freeze when too much is collected on the evaporator coil. A frozen evaporator coil doesn’t allow heat transfer, so the AC blows warm air into your room.

If you have a frozen evaporator coil, you need to check by shutting off the AC unit. Also, you can turn off the circuit breaker for extra safety and then open the indoor access panel to check if there is any frost or ice on the evaporator coil. You can consult your AC’s instruction manual to check where the control panel is located and then remove the screws or fasteners to learn more about the access panel. You should not turn the AC on if you see any frost or ice on the evaporator coil until it has melted completely.

When your AC is blowing warm air due to any of the reasons mentioned above, it will affect your comfort and mood. It’s unbearable during summertime as San Diego is prone to heat waves. So, call experts in San Diego for air conditioning repair and tune-up services to ensure that your AC works efficiently. So you remain cool and relaxed while beating scorching heat all through the sunny days.

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