Remember when you were a child and you would play the game "The Floor is Lava"? Running from place to place trying not to touch the floor? Well, now that you are an adult, the game hasn't changed as a resident of Phoenix, Arizona. Running from your car to the office, to home every day doing anything you can to stay out of the summer heat.
The last thing you want is to come home to a home where the AC never stops running but is having a hard time delivering. You need a place where you can run and be "safe" from the lava.
Here in the valley of the sun, having an AC that runs continuously during the summer is not abnormal. On extremely hot days, your system NEEDS to keep up with the incoming heat, to do this means your AC might have to run longer to maintain a normal desired temperature.
However, if your AC is always running but you never feel cool, that can be a sign of a problem that needs to be attended to. Or if you are in the early part of summer or reaching the tail end of the immense heat of the summer months, and you are confused and frustrated about your AC unit constantly running and draining your bank account, Forrest Anderson has a few tips that can help.
Here are 4 common causes of an AC that constantly runs and never delivers.
Restricted Airflow or Low Blower Speed
Your AC system needs a certain amount of airflow to cool off your valley home. If you are not receiving proper airflow or it is restricted in some way, your system is going to run harder and it is going to run longer.
A good sign that this may be the culprit of your AC issues, you may notice cooler air but very weak airflow coming from your home's vents. This could be due to dirty air filters, leaky ducts, or closed/blocked air vents.
If this is your issue try these steps:
Change your air filter (At Forrest Anderson we recommend every 30 days during the summer).
Clear furniture away from vents
Dirty Evaporator Or Condenser Coil
If your evaporator coil inside your AC unit is dirty it makes your refrigerant work much harder to absorb the heat from the air.
This can also be found true for dirt and debris buildup on the outside of the units condenser coils. Dirty condensers can block the release of heat that has been absorbed by the refrigerant, nullifying its ability to release the excess heat from your home.
These issues can both be culprits for why your AC system is running constantly as it struggles to remove the heat from your living space.
Signs that this could be your problem:
Air from vents is warmer than the desired temperature
Dirt is visible on outside unit/inside coils
If this is your issue try this:
Clean the outside unit itself. Or have one of your expert Forrest Anderson technicians clean the inside coils for you, as this should be done by a professional.
Low Refrigerant
If your AC system is low on refrigerant, it will battle the Arizona heat trying to reach the desired temperature setting, causing it to run non-stop.
Signs that this could be the problem:
Ice buildup on the refrigerant line and/or the outside unit
Bubbling or hissing noise
AC is blowing warm air from vents
If this is your issue try this: We recommend that you have a Forrest Anderson professional check your system's refrigerant level. If it is low, find and fix the leak, and then add more refrigerant.
Undersized air conditioner
Would you put a scooter engine into a pickup truck? Of course not! An undersized AC is like trying to have a pickup truck run on to small of an engine. It just can't do that. It can run and run but the system just is not powerful enough to meet the demands of your home's cooling needs.
Signs that this could be the problem:
Airflow from vents is normal but home never reaches the desired temperature
Frozen evaporator coil (cooling coil inside unit) due to low pressure inside the unit
If this is your issue try this:
Have Forrest Anderson perform a heat load calculation on your home to inform you about the correct size of the AC unit needed for your specific home. If you believe this might be your problem, Forrest Anderson can help you identify a replacement unit that is properly sized to fit your home.
If you still have questions or need a repair, the Forrest Anderson team is here 24/7!
Summertime in the Valley of the Sun is not something to mess around with. Make sure your system is ready to perform this summer with the help of Forrest Anderson Plumbing and Air Conditioning, INC. Contact us today at 623.780.4060 or visit us online at www.forrestanderson.net
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