7 Reasons Why Your AC is Not Blowing

Air conditioning helps keep indoor temperatures at a comfortable level and also provides clean air to breathe. If the air conditioning malfunctions or is not blowing cool air where it is supposed to, your Bay Area house may feel warm and humid.

This will cause inconvenience, especially in the peak of summer. Sometimes, the reasons for an air conditioner not blowing despite the system running, are simple and can be dealt with by the homeowners themselves. You don’t have to be Al Borland from Home Improvement to figure some of this out either.

Take a look at some of the reasons why your AC is not blowing.

1. Power issues

It is common for all houses (or apartments or condos) of a neighborhood to have their ACs running at full power and throughout the day and night during scorching summers. This puts a lot of pressure on the power grid. You may experience power outages as a result of this.

To get your AC blowing again, you will have to check the power supply to the unit; the circuit breakers to ensure they have not tripped and also reset the thermostat.

2. Thermostat settings

This is something that is easily overlooked at times; especially after a season change or a change in your time table. There could be a problem with the zone settings or it is also possible that one of the family members may have turned up the temperature to avoid feeling cold. You must also check the thermostat batteries and the thermostat connection with the system while you are at it.

3. Blocked vents and registers

A common reason for the AC not blowing is that the vents and registers are blocked due to furniture layout or drapes. If any air vent has an obstruction placed in front of it, the AC will not blow cool air into your room.

4. Unclean filters

Filters are meant to remove dirt, dust and contaminants from the air. When all these get collected over the air filter over time, it gets blocked and air cannot pass through it any more. It is important to clean the air filters every month and have them changed every few months, especially if you have pets in the house. This will ensure smooth, uninterrupted air flow.

5. Ductwork and design flaws

The ductwork for the HVAC system must be designed in a way that allows smooth flow of air. Too many bends or turns will reduce the flow. Also, it may happen that the ductwork is too old for your new HVAC system or that you may have revised the ductwork to suit your new system but it wasn’t done correctly.

6. AC size

Homeowners need to understand that only the right sized unit for your house will provide you the appropriate cooling. If your unit is too large or too small for your home, it can cause the AC to not blow air which is something Tim the Toolman Taylor may not agree with but he’s wrong.

7. Unclean coils and condenser

The condenser and coils will not be able to absorb or expel heat if they are unclean and covered in grime. Dirty coils will in turn cause air flow problems.