Why Air Conditioner Not Cooling the House (How to Fix it)

Published on: June 17, 2022
Written by Eric Devin / Fact-checked by David Rowan

It is disheartening when your air conditioner doesn’t provide enough cool in the hot temperature. Millions of people depend on the cooling system to protect against high-temperature. Homeowners love to use the AC summer months. Summers go, they don’t take care of this electrical tool. 

But, proper maintenance is the most important thing to keep the AC in good condition. You feel frustrated and confused to handle the air conditioner’s bad condition. So, don’t be late to learn the reasons why the air conditioner is not cooling the house and how to fix it as soon as possible. 

Let’s start reading. 

Why Air Conditioner Not Cooling and How to Fix It 

Air conditioner is one of the essential tools that is used to maximize people’s lives. Sometimes your AC can damage if you don’t maintain it properly.

Here are some common reasons why your AC is not cooling at home. Besides, we provide you with solutions to those specific problems. 

1. Dirty or Clogged Air Filter 

Dirty air filters can significantly impact the performance of your split and window AC. Due to the fact of dust and dirt, the air filter can block and not be able to cool the house. 

Also, unclean or clogged filter air can not move through the system as soon as possible. For this reason, your AC needs to work more for pushing air through the network. It hampers the overall life of your AC. 

Additionally, this dirty filter requires more energy to provide cooling. That means you have to consider the extra utility bill. 

How To Resolve It

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), simply changing your air filters can decrease your energy consumption by between 5% and 15% every month. So, the solution to the clogged air filter is very easy. Just change your air filter once every four to six months. Or, follow the manufacturer’s directions. This work is not hard but so effective to stay with a wonderful Air conditioner. 

2. Faulty Thermostat Settings 

The thermostat is a critical detector that understands the room weather. It also provides a signal to the compressor about beginning or ending the cool cycle. Your air conditioner is not capable of cooling the house when the thermostat is bad. 

Another important thing is to check the thermostat setting system. If you keep the thermostat setting ‘On’ mode, it doesn’t give the cool air. The faulty thermostat and incorrect settings, both are common reasons why your AC is not cooling.

How to Repair It

Wondering how to fix it? When faced with such problems, first, check the thermostat settings condition. If the thermostat stays in ‘ON’ mode, you will change it to ‘Auto’ mode. After changing, fail to solve the problem. You should replace your thermostat. 

3. Dirty Outside Unit

Dirty external units are also a major problem of damage to your air conditioner. Outside or external unit? This unit condenses the cool air from the hot. A condenser acts to provide sufficient cooling to the air conditioning system. 

Where the inside unit absorbs heat and transfers it to the outer unit. A nasty outside unit doesn’t allow the satisfactory cooling of AC. 

How to Solve It

Always clean the room and air conditioner’s outside unit to remove dirt, dust, or weeds that are surrounding the house. 

4. Faulty Motors

Your AC is not cooling the house when the motor doesn’t work. Or, it can break somehow. Due to the faulty motor, the outdoor unit is not able to spread the heat. 

How to Fix Faulty Motors 

It is better to turn on the professional person who checks the motor’s overall condition. Or, go through the HVAC technician. 

5. Low Refrigerant Level

A refrigerant leads the AC to cool air by absorbing heat from the outside air. This fluid is important to keep the temperature cool. Low refrigerant level or absence of good refrigerant, your air conditioning system is not able to cool. How to understand this problem? When you get some unexpected sound like hissing or bubbling, it is a refrigerant problem. A build-up of ice on the outside unit indicates the bad refrigerant. 

How to fix It

After identifying this issue, you can remove it and replace it with a new one. Or, hire a skilled professional to solve this problem.

6. Wrecked or Defective Compressor

The faulty compressor is another cause of why the air conditioner is not cooling the house. This powerful component manages airflow and leads the cooling system. It compresses the refrigerant through the evaporator as well as condenser coils. 

If the compressor goes bad, it doesn’t work well enough. 

An Easy Solution

You should replace the faulty compressor. To do this replacement process, contact a professional. Best air compressors are available in the market. 

7. Defective Parts

Due to the defective parts, your air conditioning system can damage. The important parts can be a faulty control board, defective capacitor, choked capillary, etc. On the other hand, some people buy the small AC which is not able to keep the cool room in the summer. Before considering any AC, you should check the size. 

How to Fix This Problem

Find out the defective parts and replace them. Also, avoid undersized AC. 

8. Inadequate AC Remote

To use the faulty AC remote, your air conditioning system can change and the temperature can go up or down. Even your room is not cool enough.

How to Fix It

A simple replacement can solve the problem. You replace your faulty remote.

So, it is fundamental to check the air conditioner from time to time with an expert. Want to know how often you have serviced your air conditioner? You can do it every three months or four months although it is dependent on the type of your air conditioning unit. 

Anyway, the unmaintained AC system leads to more electricity bills. If you take care of the AC and its parts, it will provide you with long service. This is because you can save on maintenance charges and restoration costs. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is My AC Running But Not Cooling?

When your AC is running that means the power system is on but not cooling, you have to check the AC coil. This can happen due to the clogged or blocked coil. And, coils are clogged from lots of debris such as dirt, grass, or other contamination. 

How Do I Fix My Air Conditioner That Is Not Cooling?

If the air conditioner turns ‘ON’ position, but it is not cooling the house as well. Check out the thermostat. If it sets the exact place and there is no problem with the thermostat, you should test the outside unit. Clean all weeds or debris from the AC. 

Should I Turn Off The AC If It’s Not Cooling?

Of course, you should turn off the AC when it is not cooling. Perhaps, your refrigerant is leaking, a faulty air filter or your thermostat is a problem.

Why Is My Window AC Blowing Cold Air But Not Cooling The House?

Just because of an unclean air filter, the window AC blowing cold air but not cooling the house. A wide variety of dust and dirt makes your AC filter clogged. 

In a Nutshell

No one desires to stay at hot or high temperatures for only a few minutes. Air conditioner support to stay cool. This tool helps you so that you have to properly care for it for use long term. Uncertainty, surrounding dirt or weeds can hamper your AC along with its outside unit. Even the cooling system can stop. 

Be sure you have already read the whole article and realized why the air conditioner is not cooling the house and how to fix it. 

Now, enjoy every moment and stay cool!