Once the heat of summer sets in and you hear the quiet hum of the air conditioning, many people notice that it shuts off quickly after it clicks on. If this has happened to you, there’s likely an easy explanation. Simply put, your AC unit may have fallen victim to short-cycling. This is what happens when your cooling unit can’t complete an entire cycle.
A cooling process is considered complete once the system reaches the desired temperature and then shuts off as it is designed to do. Cooling cycles are determined by you when you set your thermostat. If it’s working correctly, your air-conditioner should never cease running before the desired temperature is achieved, even if that means it runs non-stop.
Why Does Short-Cycling Occur?
Short-cycling occurs for the same general reasons as frozen coils—an accumulation of dirt in the wrong places and a lack of refrigerant. Frozen coils often lead to short-cycling. It’s worth mentioning how vital replacing your air filter is in helping prevent many AC problems, from short-cycling to frozen coils to excessive wear-and-tear.
You Will Notice When It Happens
Right about the time you wonder why your air-conditioner is shutting off so quickly, you’ll realize something’s off, literally. Short-cycling is a problem that announces itself almost immediately. Living every day in your home, you are finely tuned to its noises, even without realizing it. Your air won’t have to prematurely shut off too many times before you become aware it is happening.
As we said above, regular filter replacement goes a long way toward keeping your air-conditioner running. However, that alone doesn’t guarantee your system will never malfunction. If and when this happens, don’t hesitate to call a qualified technician. June, July, and August won’t wait, and neither should you. D. Rohde Heating, Plumbing & AC will repair your AC unit and make sure it keeps your family comfortable all summer long.
