Why Is My AC Blowing Warm Air?

Date: July 15, 2019

Summer is in full swing here in Massachusetts – and with the hot, sticky weather we’ve been experiencing so far, your central air conditioner is probably working overtime keep your family comfortable.

The problem with all of that overtime work, of course, is that it can accelerate the wear and tear on your cooling equipment – especially if you haven’t been keeping up with your annual air conditioner maintenance. Eventually, you might come home, turn on your AC, and find that warm air is coming from your vents.

Not cool.

Here are three possible reasons why your AC is blowing warm air:

1. Your thermostat is set for heat – Don’t overlook the obvious: you might have accidentally flipped your thermostat into “heat” mode (we’ve all done it!). Check your thermostat before you move on to other solutions.
2. You have a clogged evaporator coil – A clogged evaporator coil (sometimes caused by a dirty HVAC air filter) will prevent air from flowing properly through your home cooling system; eventually, poor airflow will cause ice to form on the evaporator coil. If you that problem, turn the AC unit off and change the air filter, then wait until the unit has thawed before turning it back on again. If the coils freeze up again, turn the unit off and immediately call an HVAC pro – you probably have a refrigerant leak (see problem 3 below).
3. Your AC is low on refrigerant – This is the usual culprit for warm air coming from your vents. Contained within the coils of an air conditioner, refrigerant (such as Freon) is the key to producing cool, dry air in your home. The problem is that refrigerant is a fluid, and fluids leak.

If you have warm air from your vents, notice frozen evaporator coils, and have eliminated a clogged air filter as a possible cause of the problem, it’s important to have your cooling system checked out by an HVAC professional immediately. A refrigerant leak is often the result of wear and tear to your cooling equipment or weather damage and can the first domino in a series of larger, more costly air conditioner repairs.

When you schedule an annual air conditioning tune-up and inspection, an expert technician will check for leaks and monitor refrigerant levels to be sure your system is performing at its best – which is another reason to make sure you have routine A/C maintenance every year.

Air conditioner struggling to keep up? Contact Cubby Oil & Energy today for expert air conditioning repair, air conditioning service, and air conditioning installation for your Massachusetts home!

Cubby Oil & Energy – Serving Boston, MA and surrounding towns, including Somerville, Melrose, Malden and Cambridge, MA.