You just noticed you’re A/C is blowing warm air, now that’s a reason to sweat.
No need to panic. There are several reason why your air conditioner could be blowing warm air, and most repairs are fairly simple.
Before you decide to call a professional, try these four common causes for A/C failure, all of which you can fix yourself.
Thermostat is set to HEAT instead of COOL.
Yes, this happens a lot! Check your thermostat setting and make sure you didn’t accidentally set it to “HEAT” instead of “COOL”. It happens more often than you’d think, especially with digital thermostats.
Fan is set to ON instead of AUTO
If the fan setting at the thermostat is set to “ON” the fan will circulate the air in your home constantly, even when the A/C isn’t on. This is a useful feature that can help improve the quality of the air in your home and can also help reduce hotspots.
DIY fix: Make sure your thermostat is set to “COOL” and use the “AUTO” fan setting.
Indoor or Outdoor Coil is Clogged
Your home’s AC system is made up of 2 main components a condenser, which sits outside, and an evaporative coil, which is inside. These components work together to remove heat from your home. To perform this task successfully, they require unrestricted airflow.
A condenser that is impacted with dirt, leaves, or debris can keep your AC working properly. A dirty indoor filter can create the same issue.
DIY fix: You can prevent this problem by using a broom or hose to clean your condenser. Also make sure to trim bushes, weeds, and tall grass that could restrict airflow. It’s a good idea to change your indoor filter every 2-3 months.
Loss of Power to Condenser
As we discussed earlier, your AC system is actually 2 parts that work together. If the outside unit loses power but the inside unit doesn’t, it is possible that you could experience warm air coming out of your air vents.
There are 2 places an outside AC unit can lose power:
At the circuit breaker. Check to see if the breaker for your outside unit got tripped.
An emergency shutoff switch. This is usually located on your home’s exterior wall, right by the outside AC unit. Check to see it’s in the “on” position.
DIY fix: Locate the breaker switch on your outside unit and flip the switch all the way OFF and then back ON.
Note: If your AC continues to trip your breaker, call a professional! This is a sign of a serious electrical problem in your air conditioner.