When your air conditioner is first installed, the size is selected so the AC runs for several minutes when it kicks on and then shuts down for several minutes. While this is the optimal situation for the best energy efficiency and cooling of your home, sometimes an air conditioner will short cycle. Find out what short-cycling is, what causes it, and how an air conditioning repair service can fix the problem.

Signs Of Short-Cycling And Why It's Bad

When your AC has this problem, it cycles on and off, but it only runs a few minutes before it shuts down. It only stays off a short while and then kicks back on. Over the course of a day, the AC will kick on and off many more times than it should. This is a problem because it wears out the parts in your AC and it drives up your electric bill.

Reasons For Air Conditioner Short-Cycling

A common cause of this AC problem is a dirty filter. When you first notice your AC turning on and off too fast, check the filter. Clean or replace it to see if that solves the problem. Other things that can cause short-cycling include problems with the refrigeration coils and trouble with the thermostat. For these problems, you'll need to call an air conditioning repair professional to track down the problem and make repairs.

Repairs That Can Fix This AC Problem

If the thermostat is malfunctioning, it might display an error code that lets the AC repair technician know what's wrong. The technician can also open the unit to see if any wiring is loose, bad, or dirty. The problem might also be low batteries if you have a digital thermostat. If the thermostat can't be repaired, the technician can install a new one that is able to control the AC properly.

A refrigeration coil problem might be a little more serious. If refrigerant is leaking, the repair technician has to find the leak, repair it, and then fill the refrigerant. This could turn into a lengthy and difficult repair, and your AC won't be able to cool your home if the refrigerant is low and leaking out.

A less serious situation is when the refrigerant coils are iced over or coated in grime and dust. In that case, cleaning the coils could get your AC working properly again. Ice can form because of dirty coils, so letting the ice melt and cleaning the coils will keep the ice from coming back. Ice can also form due to low refrigerant, and if the refrigerant is low, that means it's leaking and the air conditioning repair technician has to plug the leak and fill the refrigerant to solve the problem.

Contact a local air conditioning repair service near you to learn more