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

Dirty Air Filter

A clogged filter is the most common reason an AC system needs too much time to cool down the house. The job of a filter is to snare airborne debris that may cause problems for your HVAC equipment. More advanced filters even catch very small airborne contaminants to enhance indoor air quality.

As time passes, the filter becomes clogged with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, limiting airflow. Besides making your air conditioning system take longer to cool down the house. This issue can also lead to larger energy bills, increased wear and tear, and overheating.

Solution: Check your air filter once a month and replace it if it seems dirty. Don’t wait more than three months to change the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re not sure where your air filter is located, talk to your HVAC technician at your next service appointment.

Improper Thermostat Settings

Your thermostat must be compatible with your air conditioner to function effectively. Then, you have to set it correctly to maintain a nice temperature. Implementing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat produces the best results.

Solution: If you want to update your thermostat, require help learning about programmable features, or may not feel comfortable programming a thermostat on your own, contact an HVAC technician at Precision Tech.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Split-system air conditioners need an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes the evaporator coil, which takes in heat from the air using refrigerant. It’s more difficult for the refrigerant to hold onto heat effectively if the evaporator coil is grimy, making it take more time to lower the temperature of your house.

Solution: Call our HVAC professionals to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this call includes removing dust and grime from the evaporator coil to improve cooling performance.

Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit

A cooling cycle involves moving heated refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it exhausts heat away from your home. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or covered with encroaching vegetation, the cooling cycle could be less successful.

Solution: Lightly clean the outdoor unit to eliminate dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, prune back bushes to a minimum of 12 inches from the unit to improve ventilation.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is the key to a cool home. Usually, this substance moves in a closed loop among the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your AC loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and releasing heat from your home.

Solution: Only a qualified technician can correct refrigerant leaks and replenish the system. If you believe your AC is struggling with this problem, call up our HVAC pros for help straight away.

Leaky Ductwork

Air ducts are the arteries and veins of your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side could make your air conditioner run harder and longer to cool your home.

Solution: If you experience irregular temperatures and high amounts of dust in the house, call Precision Tech Home Services. Duct sealing or replacement can resolve the problem.

Dirty or Blocked Air Vents

Cooled air can only flow throughout your home if the air vents are open and clear. Shutting too many vents can even disrupt the system’s balance, resulting in more breakdowns and repair costs.

Solution: Check the vents in every room, ensuring they’re open and unblocked by furniture, rugs or curtains.

Aging or Poorly Sized AC System

Did you install your air conditioner more than 10 to 15 years ago? As time passes, the AC becomes less efficient and may fail to maintain comfortable temperatures. Furthermore, have you recently completed a home addition or made other alterations? This might leave you with an undersized air conditioner that can’t keep up with demand.

Solution: The only fix for an outdated or undersized air conditioner is to replace it. Count on our licensed HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.

Precision Tech Home Services

Contact Precision Tech Home Services for an estimate or call at (732)-391-6401.