Why Does the AC Take So Long to Cool Down the House?

When it’s scorching outside, you trust your cooling to keep things comfortable inside. But is your air conditioner taking a long time to cool down the house? This is common on sweltering days, which strain your AC system harder than usual. However, if it’s not very hot outside and your air conditioning is still having a hard time, your air conditioning might have a problem. Try these tips to help you resolve the issue.

Dirty Air Filter

A clogged filter is the most frequent reason an AC system needs more time to cool the house. The job of a filter is to trap airborne pollutants that might harm your HVAC equipment. More efficient filters even trap tiny airborne contaminants to enhance indoor air quality.

Over time, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, restricting the flow of air. Besides making the air conditioning system take a long time to cool down the house, this issue can also result in higher energy bills, increased wear and tear, and overheating.

Solution: Check your air filter every month and exchange it if it looks dirty. Try not to wait past three months to replace the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re unsure where your air filter is located, talk to an HVAC technician at your next service appointment.

Improper Thermostat Settings

Your thermostat has to be compatible with your cooling to run effectively. Then, you have to set it correctly to sustain a comfortable temperature. Using a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat provides the best results.

Solution: If you want to replace your thermostat, require help learning about programmable features, or aren’t comfortable programming a thermostat on your own, get in touch with an HVAC technician at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for support.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Split-system air conditioners possess an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes the evaporator coil, which absorbs heat from the air via the refrigerant. It’s more difficult for the refrigerant to absorb heat efficiently if the evaporator coil is grimy, making it take more time to cool down the house.

Solution: Call our HVAC experts to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this visit involves removing debris and grime from the evaporator coil to enhance cooling performance.

Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit

The cooling cycle requires transporting hot refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it exhausts heat to the exterior. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or covered with encroaching plants, the cooling process can be less efficient.

Solution: Lightly hose down the outdoor unit to eliminate dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, cut back bushes to a minimum of 12 inches from the unit to boost ventilation.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is the key to air conditioning. Normally, this substance travels in a closed loop between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your cooling loses refrigerant, it becomes less capable of absorbing and releasing heat from your home.

Solution: Only a qualified technician can repair refrigerant leaks and recharge the system. If you believe your AC is struggling with this problem, call up our HVAC specialists for help at once.

Leaky Ductwork

Air ducts are the highways of your HVAC system. A leak on either the return or supply side could make your air conditioner work harder and longer maintain comfortable temperatures.

Solution: If you are dealing with irregular temperatures and excessive dust in the house, call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to inspect your ventilation. Duct sealing or replacement can resolve the problem.

Dirty or Blocked Air Vents

Conditioned air can only move through your home as long as the vents are open and unobstructed. Closing too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, resulting in more breakdowns and repair costs.

Solution: Inspect the vents in each room, seeing to it that they’re open and unblocked by furniture, rugs or drapes.

Outdated or Poorly Sized Air Conditioning System

Did you put in your air conditioning more than 10 to 15 years ago? As time passes, the AC becomes less efficient and can struggle to maintain steady cooling. Furthermore, have you recently built a home add-on or made other alterations? This may result in an undersized air conditioner that won’t always keep up with demand.

Solution: The only solution for an old or undersized air conditioner is to swap it out. Count on our certified HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.

Schedule AC Repair with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

If your troubleshooting efforts prove ineffective, feel free to bring in the HVAC specialists at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We supply fast, effective support to get your HVAC system back up and running as soon as possible. Rest assured that our technicians practice the highest standards of care to ensure your long-term peace of mind. Contact us to request air conditioning repair or other HVAC services today.