Heating, Cooling and HVAC

There are a couple of things that can cause your central A/C not cooling properly

1. Your condenser may be dirty.
2. There may be inadequate air flow around the condenser.
3. There might be a leak, and your unit is out of refrigerant.
4. Your duct system might be leaking.

Things to do:

1. Have unit serviced annually by qualified heat/cool contractor.

2. Check your condenser. Go outside to the condensing unit, make sure that plants are trimmed at least two feet away from the top and sides of the unit. Make sure there are no leaves, dryer lint, lawn trimmings etc., stuck on or around the unit. Turn off the electricity to the air conditioner. Take a garden hose with a high-pressure nozzle (we’re not talking firehose pressure however) and spray the condenser coils from the inside, forcing debris to the outside. Repeat the process from the outside, forcing any remaining debris inside. You are trying to knock out any dust, dirt, leaves, etc., that may have accumulated between the heat exchange fins. If any of the fins have been bent so that airflow is impeded, carefully take a thin blunt object like a wooden popsicle stick and straighten the fins. You might want to do this once or twice a year, to keep everything working optimally.

3. Check your ducts. First do a pressure test. While the air conditioner is operating, go to each register and make sure that air is coming out. If there is no airflow from a register, or noticeably less, there is probably a major hole or disconnection along that duct passageway. Second, do a visual check of your ducts if possible. Most houses have leaky ducts, even new houses, so it is likely find leaks in yours. Typically, leaks occur at bends, joints, and at register connections.

Ducts can be disconnected by a simple bump when storing the luggage away in your attic. A disconnected duct wastes energy by heating or cooling your attic or crawlspace instead of your home. In addition, pollutants and dust can be sucked into your house through a disconnected return duct. If you find a disconnected duct, reconnect it with sheet metal screws and mastic for metal ducts or zip-ties and butyl-backed tape (not duct tape, which degrades rapidly) for flexible ducts. If you wish, you can hire contractors to go over your entire duct system, sealing it for leaks, or you can do it yourself. This will help lower your heating and cooling costs.

4. If neither of these things helps with the cool but not cold air coming from you unit, call an air conditioner contractor. He or she will be able to determine if your air conditioner has the proper refrigerant charge. Sometimes air conditioners are undercharged when first installed, sometimes there is a leak, allowing refrigerant to escape. A pressure test of the coils will determine which is the problem. You might want the contractor to clean the interior (evaporator) coils at the same time. Dust on these coils can reduce airflow, reducing efficiency.

Source:/www.radiant-heat-floor-methods.com