You could have sworn you adjusted your thermostat, but your home is still too warm for your liking. Maybe you go back to check your thermostat again, but eventually you’ll go test your vents. You find that your air conditioner is blowing hot air out of the ducts.
If this was you recently, the AC experts at Doug’s can give you top insight into what is happening behind the scenes. We have years of experience, training and other qualifications to give homeowners in the Thibodaux and Houma area solid AC advice.
Causes You Can Fix Yourself: Filter & Thermostat Setting
Sometimes, the cause and solution are right under our noses:
Dirty Filter – Your air filter is something easy to forget about, but it serves the important role of keeping dust out of your air and HVAC system. If this dust gets caked up on the filter, the air cannot flow through. The easy fix to this is just a trip to the store for a new filter and a quick replacement.
Wrong Thermostat Setting – Check if your thermostat is set to “cool”. An accidental setting to “heat” will make the house warm no matter how low you try to set the temperature.
Easily Resolved Issues: Damaged Ducts & Frozen Coils
These issues might be a pain, but they are easy to fix:
A Hole in Your Ducts – Cooled air can escape through a hole in your ducts and warm air can enter through suction from another part. A duct inspection and repair might be exactly what you need to efficiently direct cool air to all the rooms in your home.
Frozen AC Coils – Typically when we see frozen AC coils, it is a simple matter of AC system maintenance. One of the main necessities of regular ac system maintenance involves cleaning out the dirt and debris and checking that all moving parts are working correctly. Without maintenance, dirt obstructs airflow and without air flowing over the coils, they can freeze up.
You can thaw the coils by shutting the system off at the thermostat, and letting the outside unit run.Once the coils are thawed, you can unplug the outside unit and hose it down. However, if cleaning the unit yourself does not eliminate the problem, you may need professional assistance.
Frozen coils can also occur as a result of a refrigerant leak. Location of the leak, refrigerant supplement and regular future maintenance will hopefully set this issue straight, but if the leak is too severe, a entire system replacement might be the most efficient option.
Larger Problems: Failed Compressor & Tripped Breakers
These problems are more serious and most certainly warrant a licensed professional’s assistance:
- Failed Compressor – When this major part of your AC system fails, cooling your home becomes impossible. Repair, or even replacement, may be necessary.
- Tripped Circuit Breakers – It may seem like an easy fix to just reset your breaker, but if your AC has tripped it, there is likely a bigger electrical problem afoot.
Of course, these aren’t the only reasons why your AC unit might be blowing hot air. For further guidance on what you should do about this issue or to get a professional solution, call Doug’s at (985) 746-1116.
