When the heat gets intense, the idea of an air conditioning system running all the time sounds nice. Of course, you know you can’t have a nonstop air conditioner—it’s a huge waste of money and eventually the house will become too cold.
So if you notice that your air conditioning system seems to run in cycles that are longer than it normal, it’s a problem. There may be a simple reason for your runaway air conditioner, or you may need to schedule AC service in Brockport, NY with our technicians to have it repaired. Below we’ll look at some of the possible reasons you’ve got an air conditioner that won’t stop when you want it to.
Faulty thermostat
You likely thought of this already: what if the thermostat is malfunctioning and not telling the AC to cycle down? There are several ways a thermostat can turn faulty that will cause the air conditioner to run in long cycles. The thermostat could have a miscalibration so that it’s reading the house as hotter than it is, forcing the air conditioner to keep running. Another problem is when the thermostat loses its connection to shut off the compressor. Thermostats have separate wires to handle turning the compressor on and off. If the “off” connection fails, the thermostat won’t be able to signal to the AC to cycle down.
Stuck relay
A relay is the switch that controls the flow of electricity to the AC. The relay is closed when the air conditioner is running and open when it isn’t, which cuts off the circuit. The relay can get stuck closed if it becomes dirty, and this will mean continuous electrical flow to the AC. You’ll need HVAC experts to clean the relay so it will open when it needs to.
Dirty evaporator coil
The outdoor evaporator coil can collect dust, dirt, mud, leaves, and other debris over the summer. If the coil becomes too obstructed, it won’t be able to release enough heat outdoors. This will trap heat inside the AC and force the system to run longer. We recommend calling us to take care of cleaning the coil since we can do it without causing damage to it.
Loss of refrigerant
A nonstop air conditioner may have a low refrigerant charge because of leaks. Low refrigerant puts the entire air conditioner in danger of breaking down, so you want this repaired right away. Our technicians can locate the leaks, seal them, and then restore the right amount of refrigerant.
AC is too small
Is this a new air conditioning system? Then the reason it’s running continuously may be because the system is too small for your house. Amateur installers sometimes make the mistake of putting undersized AC systems into homes, and these air conditioners won’t be able to supply enough cooling to reach the target temperature. The result is air conditioners that have to run all the time. The only solution to an undersized AC is a replacement with a correctly sized one.
We are an official New York State Clean Heat Contractor and you can be eligible for up to $4,900 in rebates from NY state!