When the temperature rises, cooling down inside your home is crucial for comfort. But sometimes, homeowners can find themselves experiencing problems with their AC units.
For example, an AC blowing hot air is bound to increase discomfort. In this guide, we’ve covered a few possibilities as to what is causing this issue.
While some of these issues can be easily fixed, others will require the help of a professional. When this happens, it’s best to get in touch with Smart Air.
- Low refrigerant levels
One of the many possible reasons that you might be getting hot air from your AC is a low level of refrigerant in the system’s lines.
Refrigerant is a key component that absorbs heat from the air, and a lack of it can make it seem like the AC isn’t cooling. Often, the air is actually getting colder—just not as well as it was before. This is because the coils inside aren’t as effectively cooled, resulting in an AC blowing warm air.
Refrigerant levels often drop due to a leak. While it can be easy to find and repair the leak yourself, restoring the air conditioner’s refrigerant levels to the correct volume is something only a trained HVAC professional can do. Handling refrigerant requires a special license, so contact Smart Air as soon as you notice any odd hissing or bubbling sounds coming from your unit.
- Outdoor condenser units are clogged or dirty
Another possible reason why you might find your AC only blowing hot air has to do with the condenser unit.
This part of the AC system is responsible for getting the heat out of the refrigerant so it can be used repeatedly, allowing it to keep absorbing heat to cool your home.
However, the condenser unit can get blocked or dirty, leading to warmer refrigerant and hotter air coming out of your AC.
- Loss of compression from the AC compressor
If you’re looking for answers as to “Why is my AC blowing hot air?” and your system’s refrigerant isn’t leaking, you may be dealing with a faulty compressor.
To absorb and release heat, the refrigerant needs to expand into a gas form and then back into liquid. The compressor further helps the cooling process by compressing the refrigerant until it’s fully and completely cold.
But if there’s an issue with the compressor, the refrigerant can’t absorb the usual amount of heat. This causes one of the most common AC problems: air that’s blown into your home being much warmer than usual.
- Dirty air filters
Another common reason why you’re getting hot air out of your AC is a dirty air filter.
In warmer and drier climates, your air conditioner’s air filter is far more likely to get dirty. Whether it’s sand, grass, or even bugs, the air filter cleans the air blown into your home, but gets dirty itself. Eventually, it starts blocking air and causing the AC to overheat, effectively blowing out warmer air as a result.
How to fix an AC blowing hot air is incredibly simple though. Check the filter more often during the summer months and replace it when you notice it gets dirty.
Get your AC serviced by contacting Smart Air
If you aren’t sure what’s causing your AC to blow out hot air and you want a professional’s opinion, our team at Smart Air is ready to help. Get in touch with Smart Air today! Also check out our articles on AC’s that are running but not cooling and why is my AC leaking?
