Why Does the AC Take So Long to Cool Down the House?

When it’s hot outside, you depend on your air conditioner to keep things cool inside. But is your air conditioner taking a long time to cool down the house? This is typical on sweltering days, which strain your air conditioner harder than usual. However, if it’s not especially hot outside and your AC is still having a tough time, your air conditioning could have a problem. Try these tips to help you resolve the matter.

Dirty Air Filter

A clogged filter is the most frequent reason an air conditioning system takes too long to lower the temperature of the house. The job of a filter is to snare airborne particles that could damage delicate HVAC equipment. More effective filters even catch tiny airborne particles to improve indoor air quality.

Eventually, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, limiting airflow. Besides making an air conditioner take longer to cool down the house, this problem can also produce higher energy bills, increased wear and tear, and overheating.

Solution: Check your air filter each month and change it if it appears dirty. Try not to wait longer than three months to exchange the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re uncertain where your air filter can be found, ask an HVAC technician at your next service appointment.

Improper Thermostat Settings

Your thermostat must be compatible with your cooling to function correctly. Then, you have to set it correctly to sustain a cozy temperature. Installing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat provides the best results.

Solution: If you want to upgrade your thermostat, require help learning about programmable options, or don’t feel comfortable programming a thermostat yourself, get in touch with an HVAC technician at Peachtree Service Experts for assistance.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Split-system air conditioners come with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit houses the evaporator coil, which collects heat from the air using refrigerant. It’s challenging for the refrigerant to soak up heat properly if the evaporator coil is filthy, making it take more time to cool your house.

Solution: Contact our HVAC specialists to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this call involves removing debris and grime from the evaporator coil to improve cooling performance.

Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit

A cooling cycle requires moving warm refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it exhausts heat to the exterior. However, if the outdoor unit is dirty or overgrown with encroaching vegetation, the cooling cycle may be less effective.

Solution: Carefully hose down the outdoor unit to eliminate dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, trim back bushes to around 12 inches from the unit to improve ventilation.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is an essential tool to a cool home. Usually, this substance flows in a closed loop between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak occurs and your AC loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and expelling heat from your home.

Solution: Only a licensed technician can fix refrigerant leaks and replenish the system. If you think you're dealing with this problem, get in touch with our HVAC specialists for help straight away.

Leaky Ductwork

Air ducts are the arteries and veins of your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side can make your air conditioner perform harder and longer to keep your home cool.

Solution: If you are dealing with inconsistent temperatures and an excessive amount of dust in the house, get in touch with Peachtree Service Experts to take a look at your ductwork. Duct sealing or replacement can take care of the problem.

Dirty or Blocked Air Vents

Conditioned air can only circulate through your home when the vents are open and clear. Closing too many vents can even disrupt the system’s balance, leading to additional breakdowns and repair costs.

Solution: Inspect the vents all through the house, ensuring they’re open and unobstructed by furniture, rugs or drapes.

Outdated or Inadequately Sized Air Conditioner

Did you set up your air conditioning more than 10 to 15 years ago? As it gets older, the unit becomes less efficient and can be unable to maintain steady cooling. Likewise, have you recently finished a home add-on or made other improvements? This can result in an undersized air conditioner that may be unable to keep up with demand.

Solution: The only solution for an old or undersized air conditioner is to replace it. Depend on our certified HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.

Schedule AC Repair with Peachtree Service Experts

If your troubleshooting still proves ineffective, it’s time to call in the HVAC specialists at Peachtree Service Experts. We provide fast, effective support to get your cooling back up and running as quickly as possible. You can rest easy knowing our technicians stick to the highest standards of support to ensure your long-term satisfaction. Contact us to request air conditioning repair or any other HVAC services today.