What to Look for When Your A/C Isn’t Keeping Up

Sometimes surprises are fun, like a surprise birthday party or a surprisingly large tax refund.

One surprise that’s never fun is a breakdown in your home’s air conditioning system, especially when approaching the dog days of summer! A poorly performing A/C isn’t just annoying in the heat of summer; it can be dangerous for you and your family.

Let’s go through a few ways to diagnose issues with your home’s A/C and what you can do to address them. Here are some common signs that your cooling system is struggling.

Restricted Airflow from Your Vents

Place your hand against one of your air vents while your A/C runs. Do you feel a steady flow of cool air? If not, there’s probably something obstructing your airflow or a mechanical issue with your A/C equipment. Check other vents to determine if the problem is restricted to one area.

If you haven’t changed your air filters in a while, doing so might improve your airflow. If this doesn’t help, you’ll need to call in the HVAC experts at Burt’s Reliable.

Constant System Cycling

Have you noticed your home’s cooling system turning on and off frequently? When A/C equipment cycles too often, it will wear out quicker. In some cases, a mechanical issue needs to be addressed.

Another reason for frequent cycling could be that your system isn’t powerful enough to cool your home effectively. In either case, this is a situation where you want to call a service technician to diagnose the issue before it results in a breakdown.

A Too-Warm House

There can be many reasons why your house isn’t uniformly comfortable. A technician can do some detective work, inspecting your equipment and ductwork to find the cause of warm spots.

In some cases, the simplest solution to warm spots in your home is supplemental A/C from a ductless mini-split. These adaptable units are perfect for cooling out-of-the-way spaces like sunrooms and attics.

Noticeably Higher Bills

If you’re keeping your indoor temperatures about the same as you did last year, but you’re seeing a significant uptick in your energy costs over the previous summer, your equipment might be partly to blame. Older, less efficient A/C systems — as well as damaged, leaky ductwork — can lead to more cycling and greater energy usage.

Our experienced workers can get your system humming again. They’ll find the root of the issue and address it completely the first time. Our technicians are skilled at catching small problems and fixing them before they lead to an expensive system breakdown. And when your cooling system is working at peak performance, you’ll see your energy bills drop.

If you notice any of the warning signs we discussed, contact us as soon as possible to set up a service appointment.