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What Short Cycling Means for Your AC

AC-technician One of the worst things that you can do for your air conditioning system is to convince yourself that your air conditioner is working “well enough”. We know, we get it. It’s hot out, you’re busy, at least there’s still cool air coming from the vents, etc. etc. That may all be true, but the fact remains that ignoring the need for air conditioning repairs is a decision that is going to come back to haunt you. Worse, the negative impact on your air conditioner can manifest in a number of different ways.

So, if your air conditioner is running only briefly before cycling back down, causing your system to take longer and longer to cool your home, don’t settle for “well, it gets there eventually”. You deserve better than this, and so does your air conditioner. Here is some information from our Durham AC repair professionals about why short cycling is serious business. If you notice the problem with your system, you need to nip it in the bud.

What Causes Short Cycling?

Like most problems with your air conditioning system, there are a lot of reasons why short cycling may occur. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why you cannot afford to ignore the problem. It may not be terribly serious, but it could also be a substantial problem. You can actually help to decide if it’s a quick fix before you contact a member of our team for repairs.

Check your air filter. Yes, really. If your air filter is too dirty, then it may wind up restricting airflow to the point that your system overheats and then short cycles. If this is the case, and you don’t resolve the problem by replacing the air filter with a clean one, you are contributing to damaging your AC. The longer the system struggles, the greater the risk of serious problems developing.

Now, if you don’t find a dirty air filter when you check, it may still be a relatively easy fix—for a professional. At this point, you should give us a call. You may have a faulty thermostat registering temperatures cooler than they actually are,  or you may have a problem with a run capacitor failing to maintain a consistent current for the system to run on.

We can replace these components as needed, but we can also rule out—or, unfortunately, diagnose—one of the most serious problems that can lead to short cycling. That is a refrigerant leak. If your system is leaking refrigerant, your air conditioner is going to be doing a lot more work than it should have to in order to cool your home. That leads to overheating, but a refrigerant leak can also lead to the icing up of your evaporator coil.

That, in turn, exacerbates the problem, as the system now has to fight through a layer of insulating ice to remove heat from the air. So, yes, short cycling can indicate a big problem—so take good care of your system and call us when it begins.

Schedule your AC repairs with Ideal Services Heating & Cooling.