There are many reasons as to why your AC is cutting on and off frequently. The most likely cause for this is dirt and clogging. The spontaneous turning on and off of an air conditioner is called short cycling.
When your AC is short cycling, it means you get about 5 to 10 minutes before it shuts down again. This is a common problem for AC users, and in a city like Gresham, the heat will most definitely get the better of you if you don’t contact Gresham air conditioning repair.
Reasons your AC Keeps Turning On and Off by Itself
There are multiple reasons why that should happen, but we will discuss the most common ones because the others don’t occur much. But we will mention them as you may need to call a technician if those do happen.
1. Thermostat
Sometimes, your thermostat fails to sense the temperature right. This causes miscommunication within the air conditioning unit, and it becomes increasingly difficult for your AC to function. You can spot this issue when you see that your thermostat screen is blank.
This can be because it needs battery replacement or bad placement of the thermostat in the first place. The thermostat cannot be placed near a window in direct sunlight, beside a kitchen or a bathroom which are usually hotter than the rest of the house, and under any direct airflow like air supply vents.
2. Clogged Air Filter
This is the most common cause behind the problem in question. A clogged air filter can restrict airflow causing short cycling. Don’t try and change or clean your air filter by yourself; contact a technician from AC repair in Beaverton.
3. Unclean Condenser Coils
The condenser coils are located in the outdoor section of your air conditioning unit. This heats up, taking the heat from inside your homes and releasing them outside. If it is caked in the dirt, it won’t be able to release the heat, and your AC will shut down from overheating.
4. Electrical Issues
Often, there might not be any problem with your air conditioner, but in your electricity supply, that causes your air conditioning unit to turn on and off by itself. But that is impossible for you to diagnose yourself, and that’s why you need HVAC technicians and their expertise.
5. Leaking Refrigerant
Refrigerant is a component that circles inside your AC and recycles the air keeping your home cool and comfortable. This is not used up in the process of air conditioning but leaks through small holes.
If your AC is running low on refrigerant, it will fail to create the desired pressure on the compressor. The compressor will shut down. And when the compressor is off, the pressure will build up and start it again. This will create short cycling.
There are other problems like compressor failure, oversized units, frozen evaporator coils, bad run capacitors, or a clogged drain line which can cause short cycling.
You may face many technical challenges after buying an air conditioning unit, and you want answers. Wolcott, the best of Portland air conditioning repair services, are at your service with answers as well as professionals who can solve your air conditioning problems. Contact us at 503-420-8022 today to schedule your appointment!
