Air Conditioning Diagnostic In Houston

Fast Starts and Fast Stops: Not Good!

If you’ve ever noticed your AC system turning on and off more frequently than usual, it’s a problem known as “short cycling”. An air conditioner short cycling can have negative effects on the system. It could also affect the comfort levels of your home.

Normally when your home gets too warm, your AC system will kick in to cool it back down to the desired temperature you have set on the thermostat. But when your AC system is short cycling, it will shut off before it can finish doing its job. In other words, if your air conditioner frequently shuts off before your set temperature has been reached, you have a short cycling problem. And it’s a problem that can not only increase your energy bills by reducing cooling efficiency, but can also put your AC system through excess stress and wear-and-tear.

There are several reasons why your air conditioning system short cycles. Here are some common causes:

Oversized AC system

Bigger is not better. One of the common causes of short cycling is when an AC system is improperly sized for the building that it’s cooling. So if you air conditioning unit is too large for your home, it could cool it too quickly and cause it to short cycle. Air conditioning units come in different sizes for different cooling needs. And in some cases, bigger is not always better. If your air conditioner was not sized properly for your home, you should consider replacing it.

An oversized air conditioner too powerful for your home will blast it with cool air and shut down quickly. In other words if it’s too powerful for your home, it’ll put out too much cool air too fast.

Frozen Evaporator Coils

Ice is not nice. When your evaporator coils are covered in ice, it can also lead to short cycling. Frozen evaporator coils prevent your air conditioner from properly removing heat from your home. As a result, it will cause your AC system to short cycle. It could also lead to your system overheating and shutting off.

Frozen evaporator coils are a common result of lack of maintenance. The evaporator coils in your air conditioner remove hot air from your house. And when your AC unit can’t take out the hot air effectively, it has to work much harder to get the job done. This leads to the air conditioner overheating and shutting off.

Clogged Air Filter

Dirty is disaster. We’ve said it a million times, but something as simple as a clogged air filter can cause a plethora of problems for your air conditioning system, including short cycling. A clogged air filter restricts airflow and causes your air conditioner to have to work harder to do its job. And it can cause excess pressure on your AC system’s components such as the compressor and the blower motor, which can lead to overheating and short cycling.

You should always replace your air filters regularly to avoid short cycling and other common air conditioning and heating problems.

Low Refrigerant

Freon is gone. Another common cause of short cycling is low levels of refrigerant. Like a clogged air filter, low refrigerant can produce excess stress on your AC system and make it work harder. And it also causes overheating, which could lead to the frequent turning on and off. Low refrigerant can cause other major malfunctions as well, preventing your system from properly cooling your home. And it can lead to more costly repairs.

Source: superheatandair

Max Comfort AC serves in Houston, Texas area. Our goal is to continually raise the standard for HVAC excellence and superior customer satisfaction for our friends, family and neighbors. Get in touch with our team today and request your FREE quote available on any of our services. Call us at (832) 582-6886 or (832) 529-2333.