Air Conditioner Blowing Hot Air? Here’s Why

Once summer is in full swing, Michigan will once again face temperatures over 80℉. If you want to stay comfortable, you want your air conditioner to be working at its best.

If your air conditioner is blowing hot air, this becomes nearly impossible. It’s also an obvious sign that something is not right. It’s important that you take a look at what the problem may be.

You might be able to solve it yourself. However, you may need to schedule AC repair to take care of the problem promptly.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons your AC might be blowing hot air and what you should do about it.

Incorrectly Thermostat Settings

This might sound like a silly reason. However, there have been cases where an air conditioner was not working, and it simply turned out that the thermostat was set incorrectly.

First, make sure that the thermostat is set to “cool” and not “heat.” This could be caused by accidentally bumping it with your purse or if your children were playing with it. All you need to do is switch it back to “cool.”

Setting the fan to “on” might sound like the correct thing to do. However, this may cause the fan to blow air, whether it’s cool or hot, through your vents. This would lead to your AC blowing hot air when it’s taking a break.

Instead, make sure the fan is set to “auto.”

Low on Refrigerant

Refrigerant is a liquid that helps your AC cool the air. So if your AC is blowing warm air, it might indicate that your refrigerant levels are low. The system will keep trying to reach the temperature you set your thermostat to while still not cooling.

Sometimes, this can be caused by a leak in the system. Unfortunately, this isn’t a problem you can fix yourself.

If you think you may have a leak, schedule AC repair today. Your technician will be able to identify the problem, fix it, and get your refrigerant levels where they should be.

Dirty Evaporator Coils

The evaporator coils in your air conditioner absorb the heat from your home’s air. If the coils are dirty, they make the system work much harder. Sometimes, it can even lead to the air conditioner not blowing cold air.

Usually, this problem is caused by skipping your annual HVAC appointment. Luckily, it’s easily fixed by scheduling a system tune-up that will also clean up those evaporator coils.

No Power to the Outdoor Unit

The indoor unit of your system blows cool air through your home. However, first, this air needs to be cooled down by the outdoor unit. If the outdoor unit loses power, it will lead to the AC not cooling the air.

Most of the time, this is caused by a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker. Although it’s a simple problem, you will need to have a professional fix it.

Is Your Air Conditioner Blowing Hot Air?

If your air conditioner is blowing hot air, it could be due to several issues. Luckily, most of them can be quickly fixed either by you or your local HVAC technician.

If you found this article helpful, make sure to check out our other home and family articles too.