When you turn on your air conditioner and it isn’t working to beat the heat, something’s wrong. And nothing’s worse than feeling the hot and heavy sunshine with an air conditioner that won’t blow cold air.
We understand. When an A/C system isn’t blowing cold enough air, warmer indoor air can be frustrating, let alone uncomfortable.
After nearly 20 years in the business, we found that 10 common issues are the culprit behind why an air conditioner isn’t cooling enough. In this article, we’ll unpack each of these issues so that you can go back to feeling cool and collected for whatever the world throws your way.
Here are 10 common causes for why an air conditioner isn’t cooling enough.
The most common reasons why an A/C won’t cool enough
| 1. Dirty cooling coils 2. The condenser unit is blocked 3. Refrigerant leaks inside the A/C unit 4. Clogged or dirty air filters 5. Issues with the thermostat 6. Issues with the compressor 7. Exterior fan motor issues 8. Dirty or clogged registers 9. An outdated air conditioner 10. An air conditioner that hasn’t had regular maintenance and repair work |
1. Dirty cooling coils
The air conditioner’s cooling coils absorb heat from inside the home. What’s more, outdoor coils transfer heat from the house to the outdoors.
If either of these coils become dirty, the transfer of heat from indoors to outdoors, between the coils and over them, can decrease your system’s ability to remove heat from your home.
The result? Warmer air comes out of your air conditioning vents.
2. Condenser units that are blocked
The condenser unit of an air conditioning system is located outside. Alas, the condenser unit is often blocked by a home’s plants, bushes, or other greenery.
If you notice that your condenser unit is covered, your unit can’t release heat from the condenser coils as it should. As a result, the heat removed from the home won’t be released the way it normally should with the system.
3. Refrigerant leaks in the air conditioner
The job of refrigerant is to flow through your air conditioner coils and move heat from inside your home to the outside condenser unit. But, if you notice your system has a refrigerant leak, it won’t be able to move heat out of your house.
Your air conditioner will run, but with a refrigerant leak, your A/C unit may blow hot air or warm air. If your home’s A/C unit has a refrigerant or water leak, you can always call a professional to help repair the source of the leak.
4. Clogged or dirty air filters
Air filters: their job is to filter out particulate matter so that your A/C system’s indoor air is clean and cool. When your air filter is dirty, the amount of air that’s able to blow over your evaporator coils is restricted.
And, as discussed earlier, the job of the evaporator coil is to ensure that the indoor air from your home can be cooled. If your air filters are dirty, your evaporator coil can’t do its job, and therefore the air may not be as cold as it should.
5. Thermostat issues
Sometimes, the settings on the thermostat can also affect whether the air is cool in your home. If the thermostat is set to cool — or the fan setting is set to “ON” — your air handler may blow air that isn’t cool.
As a result, the air that comes out of the vents will be warm. You can adjust the settings on your thermostat to ensure cold air blows out of your air conditioner by switching the fan setting to “AUTO”.
Also, another setting to check on your thermostat is whether the thermostat is in “HEAT” or “COOL” mode. Your air conditioner will only turn on if the setting is set to “COOL”, so keep in mind which setting your A/C is set to to rule out thermostat issues in your A/C unit.
6. Compressor issues
Sometimes, problems with the compressor can be the source of the A/C not blowing at full cooling capacity. Your air conditioner’s compressor is responsible for ensuring refrigerant is at optimal pressure.
The compressor is key for ensuring cool air blows through the vents of your A/C system. Without the compressor, your system won’t be able to absorb heat from your home and move it outside.
What’s more, if the compressor malfunctions, your air conditioner won’t be able to cool the air in your home.
7. Exterior fan motor issues
The air conditioner’s outside fan housed within the condenser unit plays a huge role in transferring hot air from inside a home to the great outdoors.
But, if the fan develops problems, the fan can cause an A/C compressor to overheat. If your air conditioner exterior fan motor has issues, the fan can cause the A/C compressor to overheat.
When an A/C compressor overheats, it forces the air conditioning system to shut down.
If you experience warm, hot, or no air coming from your A/C system, check your exterior fan motor. If you’re not 100% sure of how to solve the issue, we suggest checking in with a professional HVAC repair team to help you troubleshoot the issue.
8. Dirty or clogged registers
Similar to your unit’s air filters, your air conditioner system works best without dirty or clogged registers. To ensure your central air conditioning system is working properly, make sure nothing is obstructing the registers.
Blocked registers force the air conditioner to work much more, thereby increasing energy bills without keeping a home cool.
While encountering dirty or clogged registers is a common occurrence with air conditioners, you can resolve the issue by removing the registers and vacuuming them.
Vacuuming and cleaning your air conditioner’s registers will ensure your registers remain unblocked and in great condition.
9. A plain old air conditioner system
When an air conditioner starts to creep up in years, you can expect more issues to occur. As a result, an older air conditioner won’t be able to circulate air through your HVAC system the way a newer air conditioner might.
The best way to avoid a faulty, old air conditioner system blowing less than optimal cool air is by ensuring the air conditioner receives proper maintenance. If you’ve taken care of your air conditioner for years with proper HVAC maintenance and your A/C system still isn’t blowing cold enough, you may need to replace your system and call it quits on your previous system.
10. Neglecting A/C repairs and maintenance
Speaking of old HVAC systems, neglecting much-needed A/C repairs and maintenance can cause your air conditioning system to blow less than optimal cool air. As such, we recommend giving an HVAC company a call for regular maintenance.
At least twice a year, in the spring and fall, you should have your air conditioner checked, that is, if you want it to blow cold air all year round.
An expert HVAC technician can diagnose the source of the issue, use the latest tools and technology to resolve it, and give you after-care recommendations to ensure proper care of your air conditioning system after they leave.
Most of all, regular proper maintenance will ensure that unwarranted repairs aren’t needed in the future.
Air conditioner not cooling: did you know?
During an air conditioner replacement, did you know that your HVAC team takes extra steps to freshen up the installation process before and after they arrive at your home? That’s how Streamline Heating and Air operates.
Take a look at the before and after pictures of this air conditioner installation to see what the freshening-up process looks like in action. 
Stay cool year-round with comprehensive A/C conditioner maintenance
Air conditioner not cooling? One of the best ways to fix an air conditioner that isn’t blowing cool indoor and outdoor air is by calling an HVAC professional. While do-it-yourself solutions exist, the potential for something to go wrong can set you back in time, money, and resources.
We recommend leaving the grunt work to an HVAC technician who will inspect those tough-to-reach spots in your A/C unit. A professional HVAC technician can inspect your A/C unit and find which of the common reasons listed above are the culprit behind your air conditioner’s less-than-optimal performance.
At Streamline Heating and Air, we’ve been helping residents and businesses across the Sarasota, Florida region for more than 20 years with all their A/C repair and maintenance needs. We hire only the best HVAC technicians in the area, and we’re proud to be honored by our clients with 5-star service.
For Simplified Solutions by Straightforward Professionals, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (941) 356-6872. Our HVAC team would be happy to help with all your air conditioning needs!
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about A/C cooling
1. Why does an air conditioner stop cooling?
An air conditioner may be running but not cooling a home because problems exist with any of the following components in an air conditioning system:
- Dirty air filters
- Refrigerant fluid
- Compressor
- Condenser
- Evaporator coil
- Air registers
- Air ducts
While other problems may exist behind why an air conditioning system isn’t working, these components influence whether the air conditioner blows cold air.
2. Why is my air conditioner taking forever to cool?
If your air conditioner takes a long time to cool, you could have clogged or dirty air filters on your hands. Dirty air filters restrict airflow and can cause your system to be less efficient.
Low refrigerant levels can also affect the cooling processes in an air conditioning system. Finally, oversized or undersized units and poor insulation can affect the cooling process of an air conditioning system.
3. Is it possible to reset an air conditioner so it blows cold air again?
Yes! You can reset your central air conditioner by following these directions.
- Turn your thermostat to the “OFF” position to stop the cooling cycle.
- Adjust the power at the central air conditioning unit at the circuit breaker box.
- Leave the power off for five minutes or more to allow your A/C unit to reset.
- Switch the breaker back to the “ON” position, so it can restore power to your unit.
- Set the thermostat to the “COOL” mode, and adjust the temperature to be lower than the current temperature.
If you find that your air conditioning unit still isn’t blowing cold air after this process, you’ll want to reach out to an HVAC team to diagnose the source of the disrepair.
