You know what your air conditioner is supposed to sound like. You turn on your thermostat, it kicks on and starts to cool air for a while. Once the indoor temperature gets cool enough, then your system shuts off.
What happens if your system isn’t running as usual though?
There are plenty of ways that your air conditioner can alert you to the fact that it needs repairs. One of these warning indicators is when it begins to short cycle. If you haven’t heard about this issue before, let us explain what short cycling is and why it requires prompt AC repair in Grayson, KY.
What Is Short Cycling?
Short cycling refers to when your air conditioner is running in shortened cycles. Let us clarify what that means.
Your system is built to run in cycles that last around 15 minutes. In that time the system reaches full power and is able to cool your house to the appropriate temperature. If it is short cycling though, the AC is creating cooling cycles that aren’t lasting long enough to cool the house effectively, if at all.
Short cycling is a problem–an expensive one. And it will get worse if it isn’t taken care of.
What Causes Short Cycling
There is more than one problem that can lead your air conditioner to start short cycling. Here are some of the main causes:
- An evaporator coil that is dirty. When your evaporator coil becomes too coated in dirt and debris, it will reduce your system’s ability to transfer heat. This can lead to the collection of ice on the evaporator coil if the problem going on for too long. Dirty or iced over, when something is messing with your coil, it will cause the system to overheat and shut the cooling cycle off early.
- Low refrigerant levels. Refrigerant is what carries heat out of your home and makes the cooling process possible. If your refrigerant levels are low, it can make it hard for the system to cool off, making the motor work harder and leading to short cycling as a result.
- Overloaded circuits. Sometimes short cycling isn’t caused by the AC itself but its power source. Your air conditioner could be battling with a circuit that can’t handle its energy needs and is shutting the system off ahead of time, leaving you overheated and causing damage to your AC.
Solving Short Cycling Issues
If your air conditioner is starting to short cycle, you should reach out for professional assistance immediately. Whatever the cause is, a professional technician will be able to identify it and address it. This means that the issue will be solved at its core, rather than at the surface level.
The professional technicians at Air Supreme Heating and Air Conditioning are ready and available to provide the repairs that you need. We can address short cycling and a multitude of other issues that your system can encounter.
Contact Air Supreme Heating and Air Conditioning to schedule your repairs. Your HVAC experts in Flatwoods, KY.