It’s a hot late summer day in Illinois and Northwest Indiana. The air conditioning is turned on, but the house is still hot. In other words, your AC is not blowing enough air, or the air isn’t cool enough, to make your home comfortable. There could be many reasons why it happens but for the purposes of this article let’s limit the conversation to some of the more common causes we find at Merts Heating & Air Conditioning.
POWER PROBLEMS
When the weather is really hot there is a huge demand on the power grid. Sometimes the results are brownouts and blackouts. When those things happen it’s possible your programmable thermostat didn’t reboot correctly. You may need to reset it using the owner’s manual. Power system problems can also cause circuit breakers to trip so make sure to check them before calling for repairs.
THERMOSTAT SETTINGS
Please don’t be insulted, but it’s easy to screw up today’s programmable thermostats. They are wonderful at what they do, but they can also be difficult to program correctly. If your AC is not blowing air, double and triple check the thermostat settings. You should also replace the batteries if your thermostat has them.
DIRTY/CLOGGED FILTER
How many times do we have to say it, changing filters prevents many HVAC repairs and problems. A clogged filter greatly reduces the amount of blowing air moving through the system. This can also cause the evaporator coil to freeze, requiring an HVAC repair call.
BLOCKED REGISTERS
We are all guilty of doing it: rearranging the furniture in your Steger, IL or Crown Point, IN home without paying attention to where the heating and cooling vents are located. Blocking those registers, or the return vents, is going to cause airflow problems.
DIRTY OR RESTRICTED CONDENSER
This is the outside unit in an air conditioning system. It has cooling fins similar to an automotive radiator and those fins need to be cleaned on a regular basis. This is part of the annual maintenance performed by our Merts Heating & Air Conditioning technicians. You also need to cut back weeds and vegetation because the condenser needs at least three feet of clear space to ensure adequate airflow.
DUCTWORK OR DESIGN ISSUES
It’s possible that the problems you are experiencing can be traced back to the system design and installation. The ductwork must deliver the correct amount of blowing air to every room. Too many bends and turns can cause kinks that will reduce airflow. Solving this type of problem is going to take an HVAC repair expert to assess the design and make needed changes.
LEAKING DUCTS
Even when the ductwork is designed correctly, it can develop leaks as part of the aging process or if it is damaged. When conditioned air is being wasted in basements, crawl spaces, or attics it reduces the amount of blowing air coming out of the vents and the home doesn’t cool properly.
FAN & MOTOR ASSEMBLY
The only reason blowing air moves through the ducts is because it’s being pushed or pulled by a fan. If the fans are dirty, the blades are likely not spinning at maximum speed, which will hamper airflow. This can also happen if the fan motor is failing and needs repair.
MAKING THE BEST DECISION
Some of the HVAC repairs for these problems are simple and relatively inexpensive. Others may cost a lot of money which doesn’t make much sense if the air conditioner in your Illinois or Northwest Indiana home is more than 10 years old. Merts Heating & Air Conditioning will explain all options so you can make the best decision when it comes to repairing or replacing your A/C. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more great information like this.