Why is My Air Conditioner Not Cooling?

During summer or in hot regions people desire to have a comfortable indoor environment. The temperature of the world is rising day by day and many factors are causing this issue. Global warming is one of the biggest reasons behind the increase in outdoor temperatures worldwide. This global problem has made living or working indoors difficult and uncomfortable. Therefore to fix this problem humans have created an air conditioner (AC). It is an indoor temperature-controlling system invented in the early 20th century. In today’s world, an air conditioner can be found in most residential and commercial buildings.

An air conditioner is part of the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system and it also consists of an air filter. The filter helps the AC to work properly and provides other functions also. But many people face a problem once or more in their life and that is their air conditioner is not cooling. By understanding the reasons behind an AC that is not cooling and the importance of an air filter in AC, individuals can address this problem properly.

How Do Air Conditioners Work?

In simple terms, an air conditioner changes indoor temperature by absorbing heat inside the home or workplace and cooling it with the help of a chemical known as refrigerant. The three main components of an AC help to control the temperature and they are the evaporator coil, compressor coil, and condenser coil. Here are three stages of changing air temperature by an AC:

Stage 1: Absorption Of Heat

In the first stage, the hot indoor air is pulled by the AC, and the air travels through the vents. From the vent, it goes directly to the evaporator coil where the heat is absorbed by the refrigerant, and the temperature of the air decreases.

Stage 2: Compression

The cool air is blown back into the indoor environment with the help of a fan but the refrigerant changes into gas due to heat absorption. After this, the gaseous refrigerant goes to the compressor coil where it gets compressed. The pressure increases the temperature of the refrigerant.

Stage 3: Condensation

The hot refrigerant goes to the condenser coil where it condenses and becomes liquid again. While changing its state the refrigerant releases the absorbed heat to the outdoor environment. This process repeats until the AC users don’t get their desired room temperature.

Importance Of AC Filter

An AC filter is one of the most important things that plays a crucial role for the air conditioners. Without a filter, an AC may face some problems that may get worse over time. So here are some main points that show how important an AC filter is:

1. Protects Air Conditioner

AC filter protects the air conditioner from airborne particles that can cause damage to its components like the evaporator coil. When the Air conditioning unit pulls the air to change the indoor climate temperature, the air passes through the filter and gets captured by it. Filter captures large particles like dust and debris effectively and ensures that the AC stays safe.

2. Enhance Indoor Air Quality

The main function of an air filter is to enhance the indoor air quality. Air is filled with many types of contaminants and pollutants and the AC filter removes these things effectively. This helps create a clean indoor atmosphere where kids and elderly people can breathe comfortably. So to provide a healthy indoor environment in your residential or office space, an AC filter is very important.

3. Improves AC’s Efficiency

An AC filter improves the efficiency of an air conditioner by eliminating particles that can affect its performance. The filter helps to prevent particles from entering inside the AC’s components. By doing this the filter makes sure that every component of the AC works with efficiency without any issues as a result it improves the AC’s efficiency.

4. Increases Energy Efficiency

The energy efficiency of an air conditioner increases and stays optimal with the help of a filter. An AC filter allows the air conditioner to work without any extra load which positively impacts the energy expenditure of the machine. This doesn’t increase the energy consumption of the AC and increases its energy efficiency.

Reasons Why Your AC Is Not Cooling

Many people face the problem of their AC not cooling their indoor environment’s temperature properly. This problem can be caused due to many technical or non-technical factors. Here are some of the main reasons of an AC is not cooling:

• Frozen Evaporator Coil: A frozen evaporator coil can be a reason for the AC to not provide cooling. Usually, this problem occurs rarely but there’s a possibility. An evaporator coil can freeze due to two common reasons. The first one is the AC user running the system to provide too much cooling. The second is the air supply is restricted. These two things don’t let the evaporator coil absorb heat as a result it becomes frozen and stops cooling indoor temperature. Turning off the AC can fix this issue and if this doesn’t fix the problem within a few hours then take the help of a professional.
• Dirty Air Filter: A dirty air filter is a very common reason that doesn’t let the air conditioner cool the temperature of the home or workplace. The dirty air filter gets clogged over a period of time and this significantly affects the airflow. The airflow gets restricted and due to that, the AC unit becomes unable to pull a sufficient amount of warm air to provide efficient cooling. So replacing the air filter timely helps to prevent this problem.
• Wrong Thermostat Settings: The thermostat is a device that helps the AC unit to identify the room temperature and according to that air conditioner changes the temperature of the indoor environment. If the fan setting of the thermostat is set to on then the air handler will blow the air even when the AC is not cooling the room. Due to this, some warm air is thrown inside the indoor environment and increases living space temperature. So always set the settings of the fan to automatic so AC can cool the indoor temperature when it is required.
• Dirty Condenser Coil: A dirty condenser coil also affects the cooling ability of the air conditioner. This happens because of the build-up of dirt and debris on the coil. The condenser coil becomes blocked and this affects its ability to throw heated air out of the house due to the AC working more but becoming unable to control room temperature. This issue can be solved by cleaning the coil regularly and this also improves AC’s performance.
• Low Level Of Refrigerant: The refrigerant is the most crucial thing that helps to change the temperature of the indoor environment. If the air conditioner has run out of the adequate level of refrigerant then controlling room temperature will become impossible. If the AC is not maintained regularly then over time refrigerant levels start declining. So it is important to schedule regular maintenance of an AC to prevent this problem.

Negative Impacts Of Dirty AC Filter

A dirty AC filter negatively impacts the air conditioner’s components and this causes some problems in the indoor environment also. By learning these impacts individuals will understand how important regular replacement of an AC filter is. Here are some of the main negative impacts of a dirty AC filter:

1. Frequent AC Repairs

Air conditioner components are vulnerable when they are forced to work more than their capabilities. A dirty AC filter restricts the proper flow of air which decreases the sufficient air supply. Due to this air conditioner forces their components to maintain a proper air supply so they can control indoor temperature properly. This causes unnecessary damage to the AC and this leads to frequent AC repairs.

2. Inefficient Air Conditioner

A dirty AC filter restricts airflow which makes the air conditioner inefficient because an adequate amount is required. The air conditioner requires sufficient airflow to control the temperature efficiently and this thing can be interrupted by a dirty filter. When the evaporator coil doesn’t have the proper amount of air supply then the coil becomes unable to provide the cool temperature that is desired by the AC user.

3. Reduction Of Indoor Air Quality

When an AC filter becomes dirty then its air filtration efficiency significantly decreases. If this problem is not treated on time then the filter will become clogged and it will stop filtering air. As a result, when the air conditioner pulls the air all of the airborne contaminants will be thrown back into the indoor environment. This will reduce the indoor air quality and over time the indoor air will become worse.

4. Decreased AC’s Lifespan

A dirty AC filter can reduce the lifespan of an air conditioner. When clogged, the filter forces the AC unit to work harder, putting unnecessary stress on components like the evaporator and compressor coils. This increases the chances of wear and tear, ultimately shortening the AC unit's lifespan. In the worst-case scenario, individuals may need to replace the entire unit.

Other Factors Of Inefficient Air Conditioners

An air conditioner’s cooling efficiency can be affected due to some other factors. These factors affect the cooling load on the AC unit and make it inefficient. So here are some of the common factors that affect the AC’s efficiency:

• Air Leakage: Air leakage is one of the most common factors that affect the cooling load of an air conditioner. Air can leak from areas like window gaps and these problems must be treated as soon as possible. Taking the help of professionals is a wise decision because they will inspect your residential or commercial property for any leakage that allows hot air to enter the house. After finding the leakages the experts will seal those places as a result the AC unit can effectively change the room temperature.
• High Outdoor Temperatures: Outdoor temperature can significantly affect the cooling load of an air conditioner and make it inefficient at cooling an indoor environment. When the outdoor temperature is high then the AC unit’s cooling load will also increase. This puts stress on the unit to provide more cooling. If the AC is unable to handle high cooling load then it will not change the indoor temperature. As a result, the environment inside your living or working space will start becoming warmer.
• Large Living Space: Large living spaces are one of the major factors that increase the cooling load on an air conditioning unit. Many ACs are not made to provide cooling to large areas. Many people can make the mistake of not checking the efficiency of an air conditioner while purchasing it. So this leads to buying the wrong AC that is unable to take high cooling loads and stays inefficient at cooling the indoor environment.

Conclusion

The cooling ability of an air conditioner sometimes becomes inefficient because of many factors. A dirty filter can play a role in this problem also because it affects the airflow and restricts it. When the airflow gets restricted the AC unit doesn’t get a sufficient amount of air which leads to problems like inefficient cooling, frequent repairs, decreased AC’s Lifespan, etc. To solve these issues it is recommended to replace an AC filter regularly or according to the filter’s guidelines. Some technical factors also make an AC not provide cooling which includes a frozen evaporator coil, wrong thermostat settings, low level of refrigerant, etc.

Another reason an AC is not providing proper cooling is that the system may not be able to handle high cooling loads. The cooling load can be affected due to many factors like large living space, air leakage, or high outdoor temperature. These problems can easily be prevented by scheduling professional AC inspections regularly. Are you searching for a filter for the replacement of your existing filter? The Custom Filters Direct Will provide you with a customized and high-quality filter that suits your desired filtration needs. To learn more about our services contact us at (877) 636-2258.

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