Nothing is worse than the slow realization that your AC might not be working. It starts with feeling a little hotter than normal, then you realize the thermostat is displaying a temperature higher than normal. But your AC is blowing air, it must be working… so you reach up to feel that cool breeze but instead, it’s warm. Well, that’s not right. But what exactly is wrong?
You might be wondering if this problem is easily solved with a DIY fix, or if you need to call in an air conditioning professional. Here are some of the most common reasons of an AC blowing warm air, and what we recommend to get a fix:
Air Conditioner is Blowing Air That’s Warm – What is the Reason?
Without going into all the nitty gritty details, the simple answer is that something is causing the cooling coil to stop functioning. Air conditioners work by recirculating air in your home across a coil that makes the air cold. So if the coil is not operating properly, your AC is working like a ceiling fan – moving the same air around in your house. And the air inside your home is constantly heating up from windows, people, and electronics. So without the cooling coil operating, your home will just get hotter and hotter. Here are the most common reasons for an AC blowing warm air:
Problems You Can Fix Yourself
Thermostat Issues: The most common culprit is your thermostat. Double-check the temperature settings and make sure it is set in COOL mode with a setpoint lower than the current room temperature. It’s possible someone accidentally turned the system to FAN-ONLY mode, which disables the cooling mechanism and simply recirculates air through the home.
Return Vents: Your air conditioner has a set amount of cooling it can produce. And since the air inside your home is recirculating, if you are creating extra-warm air in your home the output air from the AC will be less cool. So if you are cooking up a storm in the kitchen or having a long blow drying session in the bathroom, that could be the culprit.
Dirty Filter: Although unlikely, if your air filter is REALLY dirty, it can cause problems with your AC operation. It’s worth a shot to replace your filter and see if that makes a difference. We recommend changing your filter every 2-3 months, anyway!
Problems that Require an AC Professional
There are other problems that cause warm air which require a licensed professional to fix. Some of the problems we see that most commonly cause an AC to blow warm air are:
- Refrigerant leak in the piping, which means your AC is running on less refrigerant than it needs. Your system will need to be topped off and the leak sealed.
- Full drain pan which usually means a blocked drain line. A sensor automatically stops the air conditioner from running when your drain pan is full to avoid overflow. Once the blockage is cleared, your AC should run like normal.
- Problems with the outdoor equipment which means that your indoor fan may be running while the outdoor system is not providing any cool refrigerant into your coil.
Maintenance can Prevent an AC blowing warm air
If your AC is blowing warm air right now and you can’t fix it yourself, there’s no need to suffer – call our team right away. A broken AC won’t fix itself! Call the professionals at DTC to repair your air conditioning unit and get back to comfort.
So many homeowners skip AC maintenance, but truth be told: maintenance is the best way to prevent these issues from happening in the first place, particularly if you can get AC maintenance done before summer. As a part of our AC maintenance service, we check all of these items from thermostat settings to drain lines. This way you can make sure your air conditioner works great all summer long. Want to level up? Join our AC Maintenance plan and we’ll take care of your annual service each year; become a member and we’ll take care of everything!