Working as a Heating Professional Can Lead to Success

Why Is My AC Blowing Hot Air?

12 November 2020

Abbie Wade

Even though most of America is moving into the cold winter months, there is still a substantial amount of the population that has the air conditioning unit turned on. For those people, there will inevitably be a point where they turn on their air conditioner only to have hot air blown into their homes. If that happens to you, you may be tempted to pick up the phone and schedule an AC repair service, but you should run through the list below first to see if you can diagnose and treat the issue yourself.

Check the Thermostat

The first place you should always check whenever the temperature is off inside your home is your thermostat. Since thermostats only last about 10 years, it's not inconceivable to think that it could start to malfunction a few years before that. Even if it's operational now, there could be a misfire between the thermostat and the limit switch on the air conditioning unit that's not regulating the temperature appropriately. If so, that's something that you'll need a professional technician to take a look at.

Check for Clogs

You should always change your air filters every 2 to 3 months to maintain a constant airflow throughout your home, but that's not the only place that you should see if debris is impacting your AC unit. Head outside and look at the actual unit itself; if you see grass, leaves, or even tree branches blocking the airflow, remove those immediately and set up a barrier if necessary. Contrary to popular opinion, air conditioners actually require hot air in order to convert it into cold air, so if air isn't reaching the unit at all, that conversion process can't take place.

Check the Coils

Take the grates off the side of the AC unit and look for the condenser coils inside the system. If you see a thick layer of grime or dirt that is around these coils, turn the system off and wipe them clean. These coils — along with the refrigerant inside — is where the actual hot-air-to-cold-air conversion process takes place, so if there's a barrier between those two places, you won't get any cold air at all.

Check the Refrigerant

This is almost impossible to check by yourself, so make sure you have a technician that handles AC repairs investigate this for you. Over time, the refrigerant level will eventually drop, resulting in an underpowered system that won't cool your home properly. Refilling it isn't hard, but any contact with refrigerant can be dangerous, and putting it into the air intentionally is illegal, so make sure you have a professional HVAC company handle this part for you.

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