Short Cycling: What Is It and How Does It Affect Your AC?
One of the best ways to maintain comfort in your Palm Desert, California, home is by making sure that your AC unit is working properly. Homeowners can easily learn to identify problems and understand how they can affect the system’s functionality. One problem to be aware of is short cycling.
What Is Short Cycling?
Short cycling is when your AC system runs for a short amount of time and then shuts off. You may also notice that it kicks on again rather quickly. A system that functions normally will complete all steps of a full cycle, including starting up, running until it reaches the set temperature, and then shutting off. With short cycling, the process is truncated and the system doesn’t run long enough to bring the air in your home to the appropriate temperature.
What Causes It?
Many factors can cause your system to short cycle, such as:
- Low refrigerant levels, which put stress on other components of the system and cause them to malfunction.
- Your system may be too large for the area, which can lead to high energy bills and uneven cooling throughout your home.
- A frozen or dirty evaporator coil may be failing to absorb existing hot air in your home.
- Your filter has become so clogged or dirty that it’s causing the blower and compressor to overheat.
How Does It Affect Your AC Unit?
Short cycling not only causes your home to cool improperly, but it can also put excessive wear on your system. This will lead to more frequent repairs, as well as reduce the longevity of your system. If left unaddressed for too long, it could even lead to a system breakdown.
If your AC system is short cycling, don’t wait for the problem to get any worse. Contact us at 760-610-0297 today, and one of our experienced Palm Desert Air Conditioning and Heating Co. specialists will assess and solve the problem so you can regain control of the climate in your home.
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