One of the most annoying problems you can experience with your air conditioning system is that it runs constantly but never gets your home comfortable. This may become especially noticeable during heat spells throughout Washington’s warmer summer season. Your cooling system will struggle to manage a comfortable indoor temperature and humidity level.
Why Is Your AC Running Nonstop Without Proper Cooling?
Anytime your air conditioning system is running but not adequately cooling your home, it’s a sign of a deeper underlying issue. These include things like low refrigerant levels, dirty coils, thermostat problems, restricted airflow, and even aging equipment. Identifying the root cause of your issue can help you get it repaired and restore your system’s effectiveness. You never want to keep running your inefficient air conditioning system, as doing so will leave your home uncomfortable and your energy bills high.
How Washington’s Climate Can Affect AC Performance
Washington experiences seasonal humidity, wildfire smoke, fluctuating outdoor temperatures, and heat waves throughout the year. All these factors can place additional stress on your residential cooling system. It will work much harder to try and maintain a comfortable environment inside your home.
Could Dirty Air Filters Be Restricting Airflow?
The air filter inside your AC system collects airborne particles before they enter the main components of your cooling system. It will also boost your indoor air quality level. Over time, the fibers of the air filter will trap so much debris that they clog up. This restricts airflow through the filter, which limits the amount of cool air that reaches different areas of your home. Your air conditioning system will work harder to try to force air through the dirty filter.
We highly recommend removing your air filter from its housing every month and checking it. You can do this by holding it up to a light and looking through the filter. If you can’t see through the filter, it means it’s time for a replacement. Most homeowners find they need to replace their AC filter about every 2 to 3 months. If you suffer from severe allergies or asthma, consider choosing a filter that has a MERV rating between 11 and 13. These offer the highest filtering capabilities for residential cooling systems to reduce your symptoms.
What Happens When Refrigerant Levels Are Low?
Refrigerant is an important component of your air conditioning system. It absorbs heat from inside your home and transports it outside. For your system to work effectively, it needs to have an adequate amount of refrigerant. If you’re noticing uneven indoor temperatures or an increase in system runtime, it could signal that you have low refrigerant.
This can develop when there’s a refrigerant leak in your coils or lines, allowing the gas to escape. Some other warning signs of low refrigerant include warm air coming from your vents and frozen evaporator coils. If you suspect there’s a refrigerant leak, it’s best to call our technicians for further assistance. Refrigerant can be a dangerous gas if not handled properly. That’s why it’s so important to have a professional identify the source of your leak, repair it, and recharge the refrigerant inside your system.
Can Leaky Ductwork Cause Cooling Problems?
As your ductwork ages, it’s more likely to develop leaks. This is due to the constant expansion and contraction of the metal ducting as the temperature changes. Anywhere there’s a leak or a gap between your connections, it can allow the cold air your AC produces to escape. Instead of traveling to the rooms in your home, it goes into the wall and floor cavities. In turn, your air conditioning system must run longer cycles to produce even more cold air because only a portion of the air will reach each of your rooms.
If you suspect that you have leaky ductwork in your home, you may want to consider duct sealing service. This is where a professional HVAC company will come and seal up your air leaks using foil tape and a specialized resin solution. By sealing these leaks, you can ensure the cool air your air conditioning system produces makes it to the rooms in your home. In general, homeowners should consider duct sealing service about every eight to 10 years.
Why Does Your Home Still Feel Humid Even With the AC Running?
One of the biggest problems that struggling air conditioning systems have is failing to remove indoor humidity properly. You’ll feel like your home is stuffy even though your air conditioning system is running constantly. This excess humidity makes it harder for your body to naturally cool itself through the perspiration process. When humidity levels are high, your body temperature will remain higher. Many homeowners compensate by adjusting the temperature setting on their thermostat, which forces their air conditioning system to struggle even more.
When Is an Aging AC System Part of the Problem?
Most central air conditioners and ductless mini-split systems last around 15 to 20 years. Heat pumps last about 10 to 15 years with proper care and upkeep. If your system is approaching the later years of its lifespan, it will slowly lose efficiency. This is because its internal components will wear out and become less efficient. You’ll notice these inefficiencies more often during periods of high demand, like heat waves in the summertime.
Issues, like rising energy bills, uneven cooling, high indoor humidity, and frequent repairs, all indicate a declining system. If you suspect your air conditioning system is declining, it’s a good idea to upgrade before the summertime weather settles in. Getting a new air conditioning system comes with many great benefits. These include enhanced home value, better indoor comfort, reduced energy bills, and quieter system operation.
Why Professional AC Inspections Matter
Getting routine AC inspections is the key to preventing system inefficiencies and ensuring maximum comfort for your family throughout the summer. A professional HVAC inspection will catch low refrigerant levels, poor electrical connections, hidden airflow system issues, and so forth. By repairing these during routine AC maintenance, we can greatly reduce your risk of experiencing a major breakdown during the summertime heat waves.
Even better, we can ensure that your AC is operating efficiently so you’re not overpaying for your energy bills. Annual maintenance in early spring is one of the best ways to ensure you have a reliable system and maintain your unit’s warranty coverage. It can go a long way in extending the overall lifespan of your system, so you get more for your investment.
Schedule Professional AC Service Before Cooling Problems Get Worse
If your air conditioning system is running nonstop without keeping your home comfortably cool, it’s time to act. We encourage all Washington homeowners to schedule professional AC repair service to solve the issue before it gets any worse. Simply contact Marr's Heating, AC, Plumbing and Electrical now for professional AC repair in Bellingham, WA!
