Why is my central air conditioner blowing warm air?

Summer is in full swing here in Northern Fairfield and Northern Westchester counties
– and with the oppressive heat and humidity we’ve been experiencing so far, your central air conditioner is probably working 24/7 to keep your family comfortable.

The problem with all of that hard work, of course, is that it can really take a toll on your cooling equipment – especially if you haven’t been keeping current with your annual air conditioner tune-ups. Eventually, you might come home, turn on your A/C, and find that warm air is coming from your vents.

Not cool.

Here are three possible reasons why your air conditioner is blowing warm air:

• An incorrectly set thermostat – You might have accidentally switched your thermostat from “cool” to “heat” (don’t worry – we’ve all done it!). Check before you move on to other solutions.
• A blocked evaporator coil – A clogged evaporator coil (sometimes caused by a dirty HVAC air filter) will prevent air from flowing properly through your home cooling system; eventually, poor airflow will cause ice to form on the evaporator coil. If you see that problem, turn off your air conditioner, change the air filter, then wait until the unit has thawed before turning it back on again. If the coils freeze up again, turn the unit off and contact us immediately – you probably have a refrigerant leak (see problem 3 below).
• A refrigerant leak – This is the most common cause of warm air coming from your vents. Contained within the coils of an air conditioner, refrigerant (such as Freon) is the key to producing cool, dry air in your home. The problem is that refrigerant is a fluid, and fluids leak.

If you have warm air from your vents, notice ice on your evaporator coils, and have eliminated a clogged air filter as a possible cause of the problem, it’s important to have your cooling system checked out by an A/C professional immediately – a refrigerant leak can the first domino in a series of larger, more costly air conditioner repairs.

When you schedule an annual air conditioning tune-up and inspection, an expert technician will check for leaks and monitor refrigerant levels to be sure your system is performing at its best – which is another reason to make sure you have routine A/C maintenance every year.

Is your air conditioner struggling to keep up? Contact Casey Energy today for expert air conditioning repair, air conditioning service, and air conditioning installation for your Northern Fairfield and Northern Westchester county home!