August isn’t over yet, and there are still plenty of hot days in store for South Jersey. What do you do when your home’s A/C blows hot air instead of the cool air you crave? Call Heating Specialties of Fairton, N.J. We’re ready to help with speedy service and cool solutions to your red-hot problems.
Read on to discover six reasons why your A/C may be playing a not-so-cool trick on you.
Your thermostat is not set correctly
Did someone creep downstairs in the middle of the night to adjust the thermostat? We’ll leave the thermostat wars up to you, but human error is often behind temperature mishaps. Before digging into the complicated reasons, ensure your thermostat is set to cool. You’ll also want to move it to the auto setting, which means it will only kick on when the house needs to cool down. Otherwise, it may feel like the fan is blowing hot air when the system isn’t in cooling mode.
The breaker switch was tripped
You may suspect a tripped breaker if the whole system isn’t working. But sometimes, a breaker will affect only a portion of the system, like the outdoor condensing unit, powering it off and denying the cool airflow you need. Find your breaker box and see if any of the switches are off. You may get lucky and discover that’s all there is to your toasty troubles.
The air filter is dirty
An air filter is the first line of defense against the dirt, pollen, and other irritants that want to enter our homes every time air is drawn through the system. A dirty air filter may restrict airflow, causing the system to overcompensate or turn off. Change your air filter at least every three months. If it’s been a while, take a look at it. A dirty air filter can’t do its job. Bring in a replacement to let your HVAC unit work as it should.
The A/C unit has frozen up
It sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t a frozen A/C unit make the air feel cool? Not really. Ironically, your A/C unit can develop ice when it’s not working correctly. Normally, the evaporator coils in the unit are responsible for absorbing the heat from the indoor air and sending it outside. If the airflow is impeded, the refrigerant inside the evaporator coils won’t transform into the heated vapor that’s important to the cooling process. Condensation that forms on the coils can instead turn to ice, indicating that the A/C unit is no longer doing its job.
Your refrigerant level is low
If there’s a leak somewhere in your system, your home’s A/C may not have enough refrigerant available to cool your home. You’ll need a Heating Specialties air conditioning professional to troubleshoot the problem and perform a fix to ensure that the cool keeps coming.
Your unit is past its prime
HVAC systems have a finite life expectancy. The bright and shiny unit you installed a decade ago may not be able to keep up with the South Jersey temperature extremes. As a rule, the average HVAC system will last between 10 and 15 years. When is it time to replace it? Your Heating Specialties technician can help you with this important decision. Typically, if the repair will cost more than half of what it costs to replace the unit, it’s time to invest in new technology. We understand that’s not necessarily the news you want to hear, but we will work with you to find solutions that fit your home and budget. We also offer special financing options so you can spread out payments over time. The good news? You may notice lower utility bills, which makes the extra expense easier to accept.
If your home’s A/C is full of nothing but hot air, call Heating Specialties in South Jersey now at (866) 923-2653 or schedule an appointment online! Don’t try to sweat out the rest of the summer. Let Heating Specialties bring you cool solutions to your A/C troubles!