Dealing With An Underperforming AC System? Potential Causes To Consider
Today, most homes in the United States are designed or upgraded to include air conditioning systems, especially those located in areas where summers are hot and humid. Like all machines, however, the components that make up an air conditioning system are subject to aging, wear, damage, and misuse capable of impacting their performance.
Homeowners who feel as if their current air conditioning system is no longer providing the cool comfort they have become accustomed to may find this information helpful in determining the cause and figuring out how the problem will need to be addressed.
Filter issues
Furnace filters perform the critical function of cleaning all the air that moves through the home's air conditioning system. When filters are changed frequently and well before they can become clogged, cooled air can move freely via the ducts and vents to provide even, comfortably cool temperatures in each living area of the home. However, if the task of installing a fresh filter is overlooked or postponed, the clogged surface of the old filter can begin to make it impossible for adequate levels of airflow to occur.
In addition to creating the potential for an uneven or less comfortable cooling experience in all or part of the home, clogged filters can cause unnecessary wear on AC components and higher energy usage because the system must work harder with each cooling cycle.
Changes in the home
Another issue that can impact the degree of comfort provided by an existing air conditioning system is if changes have occurred within the home or system, itself. For example:
- adding more square footage to the home without also updating the air conditioning system can make an undersized system struggle to keep up
- making changes to the design of the home can impact efficient operation, such as erecting walls that block airflow or adding large windows that bring in more heat from the sun
- damage to ducts cause cool air to leak before it reaches its destination or moving furniture or rugs in such a way that vents are blocked
Homeowners who notice a sudden decrease in the efficiency of their air conditioning system may be able to find the cause by determining if any changes such as these may have immediately preceded the decline in comfort.
No matter what type of underperforming AC issue you face, discussing the problem with a qualified, reputable residential air conditioning services contractor will help you figure out the cause and decide on the best possible solution for your home and budget. Contact a residential air conditioning service for more information.
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