5 Reasons Why Your AC is Blowing Warm Air
With the summer at its peak, it is of great comfort that our house is equipped with an AC unit. Needless to say, your AC should not blow out warm air. The air flowing from the air vents should feel cool and refreshing. If it feels lukewarm or not cool enough, there must be some issue with the air conditioner that needs to be checked. It is recommended to have a professional look at it, but you can also have a look and troubleshoot the minor problem yourself. Here are a few things you can check and troubleshoot yourself before calling for professional help.
- Filters that are clogged
Over time, air filters tend to get clogged with dust, dirt, or debris, which leads to the inefficiency of the AC. In order for your AC to function properly, it has to maintain an adequate air flow. If there is no good airflow, then your AC can blow hot air.
Clogged air filters mean cool air is not moving through air ducts properly. This causes strain on your air conditioner and causes the air conditioner to sometimes blow warm air. So, if your AC is not cooling, the first step is to check the air filters.
How can it be fixed?
In this case, the fix is simple; just replace the air filters. The AC will start working normally with regular airflow. - Examine the Thermostat
Another step is to check your thermostat. As obvious as it sounds, people do make mistakes with thermostats too. If your thermostat is set at a higher temperature than the room temperature, your AC will blow out warm air. If your thermostat is set right, there might be other issues with the thermostat.
There are good chances that your thermostat is wired incorrectly. This will only be an issue with newer thermostats, though. If it was working before and now it is giving out warm air, then the issue might be something else.
How can it be fixed?
You can check the manual or guide that came with the thermostat to troubleshoot any issues. Call a professional if things get complicated. - Refrigerant Leaks
An air conditioner only effectively blows cool air when there is enough refrigerant available. When your air conditioner blows warm air, it indicates a lack of freon. This means that the coil is not cooling and, hence, the air might not be adequately cooled.
The reason why your refrigerants are low is that there might be a leak in the lines. Unfortunately, leaking refrigerant cannot be dealt with by oneself. You need professional help. You will notice a considerable change in cooling once the refrigerant quantity is restored. - Faulty Compressor
If your refrigerants are okay, another reason why your AC is blowing out hot air might be a fault in your compressor.
The job of the compressor is to compress freons to their maximum. Fully compressed freons will then go through full expansion, making the coils cool, which in turn will result in cool air.
Therefore, if the compressor is not doing its job properly, the freons are compressed inadequately. Therefore, cooling coils can even get warmer in the process.
How can it be fixed?
Unfortunately, compressor problems cannot be resolved with simple troubleshooting. Faulty compressors are usually replaced.
If your AC unit is small, you can replace it yourself (although it is recommended to seek professional help). For larger units, you should call a professional. - Obstructed Expansion Valve
An expansion valve facilitates the release of refrigerant liquid and expands it into gas. After expansion, the coil gets cold and the airflow becomes cool.
If there is any issue with the expansion valve, like clogging, it will not properly function.
How can it be fixed?
Now that we established that a clogged expansion valve can cause warm air, we need a fix for it. Fortunately, it can be fixed by declogging the valve. It sounds easy, but you might need some professional help with this.
Final Note:
With this quick guide, we hope that you have found the underlying issue behind why warm air is coming out of your AC. Troubleshooting is great to find minor issues with your issues, but if troubleshooting is not helping you with cool air, it’s time to get the help of a professional.
