Air conditioners often indicate that they’re struggling by the sounds that they make. During normal operation, an air conditioner’s compressor will kick on with a hum, and the fan will whir. If you’re hearing bangs, clattering, whistling, buzzing, grinding, or other surprising sounds, you’ll know right away that you need AC repair.
But there’s something else you should be listening for. It’s not just weird sounds that can mean there’s a problem. It’s when the routine sounds are happening too frequently. If you hear your air conditioner coming on and turning off again every few minutes, something is wrong. Why are these short AC cycles happening? We’ll tell you.
Short Cycling
Your air conditioner’s cooling cycle should occur three or four times an hour. The thermostat calls for cooling. The compressor starts up and pressurizes the refrigerant, which flows through the coils, absorbing heat from inside and allowing it to dissipate outside. When the target temperature is reached, the compressor shuts down until the next cycle.
If it’s starting up over and over again, perhaps ten or more times per hour, that’s because it is shutting down before the target temperature is reached. Why? It’s probably the limit switch, shutting the air conditioner down for safety reasons. This happens when the inner workings get too hot.
Causes of Overheating
It could be that the motor that powers the blower fan is overheating. Maybe it’s caked with a blanket of dust because you didn’t have maintenance done in the spring, maybe it’s suffering from an electrical issue creating excess heat, or maybe it just isn’t getting enough air circulation.
When air doesn’t move through the system quickly enough, the minor amount of heat created by the motor won’t dissipate. It builds up around the motor. So why isn’t air circulating properly? It might be as simple as a badly clogged air filter, so your first step is to put in a new one. But it could also be that the fan is broken and not pulling air through.
Professional Attention
If putting in a new air filter doesn’t put the short cycling to a stop, it’s time for some help from a knowledgeable technician. They can pinpoint the cause of the problem and get it sorted out for you. You’ll want to do this right away. Short cycling is an indicator that there’s a problem, yes, but it can also be a cause of more problems! Don’t let that happen.
If short cycling continues, the startup portion of the cooling cycle happens three or four times as often as it should. Because the startup uses a lot more energy than the rest of the cycle, this means your electric bill will shoot up alarmingly. Even worse, the startup puts more strain on the compressor than the rest of the cycle. Constant starts and stops will age the compressor prematurely, shortening the life of the system.
The good news is, the sooner you get repairs, the lower your risk of other problems developing. So if you have concerns about short cycling air conditioning in Auburn, GA, get the help you need right away.
Reach out to Wall Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. with any inquiries or to make an appointment.