When the summer sun is high in Lancaster, you kick on your air conditioning system expecting to be welcomed by a chilly blast of comfort. Unfortunately, this time your system is instead dumping yet more heat into your home! What causes this, and how can you get it fixed? The air conditioning contractors from The Witmer Company are here to provide you with everything you need to know about an AC blowing hot air.

Thankfully, the most common causes of this often-encountered issue are actually quite easy to avoid or remedy—you might not even need to call on an AC repair professional. Follow along while we detail the possible causes from simplest to most complex:

This one happens more often than you might think. Maybe someone else in the home bumped the thermostat, or maybe you just totally forgot to set the thermostat to “cool” and it’s still set to “heat” from the winter. Before you call for AC repair, be sure to check that your settings are correct.

The air filter found in the blower compartment of your indoor HVAC unit is responsible for maintaining healthy airflow, as well as improving indoor air quality. If the filter is dirty and clogged up, it can restrict airflow and cause your system to choke and freeze up, literally creating ice that will block the flow of cool air. This means that the only air blowing into your home is coming from the fan itself, and fan motors are hot. In this case, you get a blast of warm air.

If you fail to schedule annual AC maintenance , you may also encounter a situation where your cooling system generates warm air. Most of the time, this is for the same reason listed above regarding the air filter—frost and ice formation. In addition to a clogged air filter, if the evaporator coils themselves are dirty, they will begin to build up ice and will eventually block cool airflow.

Your air conditioning system will absolutely continue to operate if there’s a refrigerant leak—operate, but not function. If your system is low on refrigerant, the unit will still run, but no warm air will be removed from the home, and no cool air will be pushed in. In this case, the air conditioner will continually cycle hot air throughout your home until the refrigerant has been replaced.

Note that we specifically say refrigerant leaks. Your air conditioner doesn’t use up refrigerant like a fuel—refrigerant isn’t consumed, and you don’t run out unless you have a leak.

Your HVAC system consists of many parts and systems all working in tandem. In many systems, different wiring and breakers control the flow of power to different parts of the system. For example, if the breaker or wiring that powers your outdoor unit trips or blows, but your indoor unit still has power, you may get warm air blowing into the home.

If your issue is resolved by changing an air filter or by setting your thermostat correctly, that’s great! But for any of the remaining problems on the list, you’ll need the knowledge, tools, and experience of a professional HVAC company. The Witmer Company has been serving South Central Pennsylvania homeowners for decades, offering fair pricing and friendly service the whole time.

Contact us any time online to schedule AC repair or AC maintenance, or call 717-288-7163 for 24-hour AC repair service!