Air conditioners are not supposed to short-cycle. Whether or not you know what short-cycling is, the most important thing you can take away from this post is that it’s never good and always requires professional service to fix. Now, let’s talk about what short-cycling is and what it means.
Short-cycling is a term we use in the HVAC industry to describe a specific problem with air conditioners. This problem only occurs for specific reasons, and when it does occur, it can be pretty devastating for homeowners that aren’t prepared for what it entails. Today, we’re going to focus on this problem and how it relates to AC repair in Boerne. If you recognize any of the signs that your air conditioner is short-cycling, or you’re still unsure as to what this problem means, make sure you call us for professional help as soon as possible.
What Is Short-Cycling?
Short-cycling is a problem that many homeowners don’t recognize when it happens. It’s far from normal and should be addressed when noticed. Short-cycling is when your air conditioner runs multiple, short cycles that don’t let it cool the entirety of your home, or cool it too quickly. This puts unnecessary stress on certain components of the air conditioner, causing it to have trouble and eventually break down much earlier than other systems would.
Short-cycling can be hard to notice, and we generally ask homeowners to pay attention to the cycle of their system. If it’s turning on repeatedly or shutting down multiple times in an hour, then you’re likely dealing with a short-cycling system. Call our team right away.
What Causes Short-Cycling?
There are two major causes for short-cycling. The first is having an incorrectly sized air conditioner for your home. When an AC is installed, it needs to be appropriately sized for the volume of air it should cool within your home, and that dictates how long a cycle should be, how much refrigerant is required, and how much energy needs to be consumed. When an air conditioner is too small, it will run frequently and have trouble cooling your home, putting unnecessary stress on parts of the system. When the air conditioner is sized too big, it won’t complete a full cycle because your home will cool down too quickly, also causing stress and shortening the lifespan.
The second cause for short-cycling is simple—a refrigerant leak. If your air conditioner doesn’t have enough refrigerant in it to cool your home effectively, it will run cycles too frequently while it tries to do the job of a system full of refrigerant. Refrigerant is the lifeblood of the cooling process, required to draw and remove heat from your home, so without the correct levels of it, you’ll experience short-cycling.
Don’t Dilly Dally
Short-cycling is a serious problem. It can run an air conditioner into the ground, cause expensive repairs in a relatively short period of time, and overall lead to more headaches than most homeowners are ready to deal with. If you’re looking to solve your short-cycling problem, that should only be done by calling a team of professionals for help.
Call the pros at D’Spain Sales & Service for help with your short-cycling AC!
