AC Not Cold? Here’s The Reasons Why!

It’s still spring, but temperature’s increasing here in San Jose. It won’t be long until the summer solstice on June. During those days, and even a month before that, you wouldn’t want your air-conditioning system to only be a shell of what it used to be when you first bought the unit. It needs to be in tip-top condition. If your AC worked perfectly last summer, you really don’t need to worry much. You just need to do some AC maintenance to prepare for the coming summer.

Here’s a recent blog post we made that details exactly what you need to do:

(READ: AC Maintenance Tips to Survive Summer)

But what if your AC’s not cold anymore? Oh boy.

To tell you the truth, you are not even expected to discover that your AC’s not cold now during spring. The current temperature is supposed to be forgiving still at an average of 72 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if the lack of cooling ability is noticeable even at this time, then you have a problem. Chances are, you’re in for a hellish experience once the summer rays strike the surface of the Earth.

So why is your AC not cold anymore?

AC Not Cold? Here are 5 Reasons Why:

Freon / Refrigerant Leak

The most basic AC problem-solution in history. In an AC repair flowchart, this is the first question made if the outside unit’s fan is running at full speed.

Forget the saying. You can’t “add Freon” to your air-conditioning system. It doesn’t deplete naturally, as what that phrase might imply. When your Freon is depleted, there’s a leak.

So, you should refuse any offers to add Freon in your system if a leak has yet to be found. Otherwise, you’re wasting a lot of cash on a band-aid solution (not even duct tape).

In some odd cases, your Freon just gets stolen. By whom? Well, if there are teenagers in your area, they would try to get their hands on those to “huff” it and try to get high. Just heard about a case like that from some of my colleagues.

Your AC is Dirty

We’re not kidding. We’ve said it countless of times. A dirty AC system is bad news, and we don’t mean just the air filter in your inside unit. Your condenser coils can also get dirty. It needs to be able to maximize the use of its entire surface area to remove heat from the air. If your condenser coils accumulate enough muck and grime, it would work much less efficiently.

And still, airflow is king. If the air filter is clogged from the dust build-up, it doesn’t need a hard-boiled detective to reach the conclusion that air isn’t flowing properly.

Your AC’s Capacitator is Dead

Every so often, it’s the lethal voltage that kills your AC system.

To facilitate air, your AC system has fan motors that run continuously while the system’s on. These fan motors need helping to start up, and they need help running at a steady pace. So in some systems, that’s what the Start and RUN capacitors are for.

Sometimes, these things weaken, fail, and die — not necessarily in that order, too.

All you have to do is to replace them with the appropriate types and sizes. Unfortunately, you are dealing with electronics here. Unless you are willing to replace your entire system with a failed DIY repair attempt or leave this Earth in less than 10 seconds, you should not try to do this yourself. You can pay the best for capacitor replacements like these.

Your AC Can’t Beat the Heat

Sometimes, it’s the simplest explanation. Nothing needs fixing. Nothing needs cleaning. The AC system installed at your house just doesn’t have the ability to cool down your entire house. And of course, this may be why the AC’s not cold.

This is usually a combination of factors than a single-cause thing.

Hot air goes up and cold air goes down. That’s why hot air balloons work. If the problematic part of your house is on the upper floor, all the heat from the house is going to be trapped and captured there.

You may have window-related issues. If it’s a direct hit from the sun every afternoon and you don’t have curtains or blinds, this contributes to the heat build-up inside your house. If they are also not insulated well, or there are small gaps where air may leak, this can be a problem as well.

Speaking of insulation, a poorly-insulated house is a house with massive energy leaks. If it’s a hot day, the cold air wants to go out. Insulation keeps it inside your house.

It could also be that your house has poor air circulation. The corners and pocket turns are the last left touched by cold air. If your bed or your study is on a place like this one, you’re going to have to invest in some electric fans.

And even then, I don’t think more electronics are the answer. Chances are, your house is harder to cool because you own a myriad of gadgets and electronics. The flat screen TVs, desktop computers, laptops, ovens, refrigerators, lighting, or whatever else you have in your house add up and increase the net temperature of your apartment.

For this one, you need a unit with a BTU that matches your needs and the best HVAC team around your area that knows what it’s doing.