5 Reasons Your AC is Not Blowing Cold Air

Living in Florida, having an AC system that works efficiently is not a luxury, but a necessity. Air conditioning is even more important during the summer months when the heat and humidity can be overbearing.

Why Is My AC Not Blowing Cold Air Even Though It’s Running?

So coming home to an air conditioner that’s not blowing cold air will put a significant damper on anyone’s day. Before you let it take you out of a Zen moment, take a deep breath and know sometimes, there are quick fixes for this issue.

1. Clogged Air Filters

Air conditioners work by absorbing the warm air inside your home. Once inside the unit, this warm air condenses, leaving water droplets on metal coils. These drops fall into a drip pan and are filtered out of your home through pipes called condensate lines. It’s supposed to be a seamless process, but if dust clogs your air filters, they will obstruct the airflow. This, in turn, causes your AC to keep running without blowing cool air through your vents.

This issue is a double whammy, because not only are you sitting inside a warm home, but you’ll also receive higher energy bills. This is because since your home won’t ever reach the temperature set on your thermostat, the AC will keep running continuously, to no avail.

To prevent this from happening, place reminders on your calendar, indicating when it’s time to change your air filters. How often you have to do so depends on many factors: If there are smokers or allergy sufferers in your home, or if you have any pets, or like to burn scented candles often, you’ll have to change them on a monthly basis. We recommend installing HEPA filters (High Efficiency Particulate Air). These are the best quality filters, and they trap up to 99.97% of airborne particles.

If you live on your own and have no pets, you can extend it to every two or three months, depending on your air filter’s quality. And if you’re a snowbird and are only in town for a portion of the year, you can change them every six months.

Related Blogs:
How Often Should I Change My Home AC’s Air Filter?

2. Clogged Condensate Drain Line

You know how we mentioned above that the water condensed from warm air gets filtered out through condensate lines? Over time, all this humidity in such an enclosed space will cause a sludge of mold and mildew to build up. Add dust and a couple insects or two, and you can end up with a clogged drain.

You can prevent this from happening by flushing them regularly with distilled white vinegar. To find them, walk outside your home, towards the air conditioner’s condenser unit. Close to it, on the exterior wall of your home, you’ll find a pipe dripping water outside. That’s your condensate line.

If you haven’t been providing it with regular maintenance and there’s already a clog, you’ll need a wet/dry vac and a DIY pipe to clear it. Click here for a video tutorial on how to do it.

For more information, check out our blog: How to Unclog Your AC Condensate Drain Line in 6 Steps

3. You May Have to Install Your Thermostat Elsewhere

If you’re baking anything in the kitchen, that room is going to be warmer than, say, your living room. The same happens with the laundry room if the dryer is running, or in the bathrooms when someone is taking a hot shower. It’s for this reason we never recommend installing a thermostat near any of these rooms: Since the temperature in them will fluctuate so much, your thermostat will likely receive an incorrect temperature reading and not operate properly. To ensure your thermostat reads temperatures accurately, install it on an interior hallway wall or an interior wall of the busiest room in your home.

4. Refrigerant Leak

For an air conditioner to work, it needs refrigerant. Refrigerant is the same thing as coolant, and it’s popularly known as Freon. Freon is the name of a specific refrigerant, not all refrigerant is Freon.

Your air conditioner’s refrigerant only needs to be replaced if there’s a refrigerant leak. This is a dangerous issue since continuous exposure to refrigerant can lead to a long list of breathing problems and even poisoning.

The most common signs of a refrigerant leak include:

• Your AC not blowing cool air
• A hissing sound
• Increased humidity inside your home
• Frost forming on your condenser unit

If you have noticed any of these signs, call an HVAC professional immediately. You can’t go to the store and buy more refrigerant yourself since EPA regulations restrict the refrigerant sales to certified technicians.

5. It May Be Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner

If your air conditioner is anywhere between 15 and 20 years old, it may be time to replace it. But before you jump the gun and go out to purchase a new unit, contact an HVAC professional to see if that’s the only viable solution.

Reliable HVAC Services in Pinellas County or South Tampa

Sometimes, issues are pretty simple and can be fixed with a tweak here or there. Other times, they are confusing or time consuming and the best way to ensure the job is handled properly is to have an HVAC professional take care of it.

At Blair’s Air Conditioning and Heating, we provide 24/7 emergency AC repair in Pinellas County and South Tampa. We also provide regular maintenance. With summer here, it’s a good idea to make sure your system will get you through the hottest months without a glitch.

Call 727-592-8479 to schedule service.