AC Repair FAQ – Why is My AC Blowing Warm Air?

As the weather heats up in Los Angeles, keeping cool is more important every day. That’s why it’s critical that your air conditioning system provides refreshing cold air directly to you. So when you’re expecting cold air, and the air doesn’t feel cool at all, it can spell trouble. 

Stay Calm. We Can Figure This Out!

First things first: don’t panic. There are several reasons why you might be getting warm air out of your air conditioning unit. Some of these we can address before calling in a professional.

1. Your Thermostat Is Not Signaling for Cooling. Look at your thermostat and see if the space temperature is at or below the setpoint temperature. If so, the thermostat is not sending a signal for your air conditioner to cool (or in industry lingo, the air conditioner is “satisfied”). Try lowering the setpoint a degree or two. If the AC starts blowing cold air, you’re all set. And while you’re looking at the thermostat, confirm that your system is set to cool. It’s possible your unit somehow got set to Fan Only mode, or even worse, Heat.  Your unit might have symbols instead of words for these settings. In this case, look for a snowflake to indicate cooling mode.
2. Is it Plugged In? (AKA The Unit Doesn’t Have Power). It’s possible sudden surges in electrical demand due to the California heat were met with your circuit breaker tripping. Locate your electrical panel and check for any flipped breakers. You can reset them if needed. If you keep having to reset breakers, it’s probably time to talk to an AC and/or electrical company to address the overall issue. In the short term, resetting the circuit breaker will get you up and running, but it’s important to call a professional right away.
3. No Air. Make sure all supply vents in your home are fully open and return grilles are unobstructed. That means no furniture directly in front of or on top of the openings for your AC system. When airflow is blocked, it can cause your system to not operate properly.

What Else Could Be Going On?

Even if you end up needing to call in the pros for AC repair, you might want to know what they’re going to be looking for. Unfortunately, there are a lot of different things that could be going on with your system. After all, that’s why you need specialists to diagnose and treat it. 

If there is a refrigerant leak, even a small one, over time you will lose refrigerant. That will cause reduced system performance including a lack of cool air. Our technicians will check refrigerant pressures and temperatures to see if this is what’s going on. Resist the urge to ask for a refrigerant top off, because too much refrigerant can be just as problematic as too little.

Coils can freeze up for a variety of reasons, but the most common will be because of low airflow. When air moves too slowly across the coil, moisture in the air freezes on the coil and will eventually block airflow.  

There are several components of your AC system that can fail over time and need replacing. Capacitors, blowers, motors, compressors, and more could have reached the end of their life and you would need a new one. Technicians will use various tools to check these components and let you know what you will need.

My AC Is Blowing Warm Air and I’m Ready For Some Help

Now that you’ve done your research and tried some of the easy fixes, it’s time to get some help to get your AC back up and running. You deserve some indoor comfort in Los Angeles and we will help you get there. Call Brody Pennell for AC repair 24/7! Our technicians are very experienced in troubleshooting issues with warm air coming out of vents when the AC is on. So if you want a resolution as quickly as possible, stop searching the web – call us now!