Why Is My Air Conditioner Running But Not Cooling?

How to troubleshoot before requesting a service call

Summer is heating up here in the Delmarva region. And long-range forecasts are calling for things to stay hotter than normal. That makes your home’s air conditioning system vital to keeping you and your family cool and comfortable – especially since we’re still spending so much more time at home.

But if the air conditioning is running and your home isn’t getting cool, your system could be in trouble. We’re here with some troubleshoots you can do before you contact Poore’s Propane to request service.

A/C Checklist Before Calling

1. Make sure your thermostat is properly set to “cool” or “air conditioning”
2. Do a check around your home to see if your vents are blocked by furniture, curtains, or other obstructions
3. Check your outdoor unit (the condenser) to see if the fan is running. If it isn’t:
• Check for a power switch on the unit itself
• Check your circuit breakers
• TURN OFF THE POWER, then check for debris inside the condenser unit
4. Check the indoor unit:
• Make sure all power switches for the air conditioning system are on
• Inspect the air filters – be sure to clean or replace clogged ones according to manufacturer’s instructions

Troubleshooting didn’t work: What might be wrong?

If your air conditioning still isn’t working after going through the troubleshoots above, contact us and one of our trained, experienced service technicians will come to your home to see what’s what.

Here are two possibilities for what the problem is:

Refrigerant leak. If you notice ice buildup on the refrigerant line in your outdoor unit, or a hissing/bubbling noise neat the unit, this is the likely culprit. If the unit is older and uses R-22 refrigerant, you seriously want to consider replacing your air conditioning, as R-22 can no longer be produced in or imported to the United States. Prices for it are already soaring and will only continue to go higher.

Ductwork leak. The easiest way to see if this might be the case is to do a walkthrough of your house. Are there some rooms that aren’t getting cool while others are? You may also notice your energy bills going up because the A/C has to work harder to get the cool air around your home with leaks in the ductwork.

Poore’s Propane provides FREE, no-obligation evaluations of your heating system so you know where you stand when it comes to repairing or replacing.

Don’t have air conditioning in your home? Upgrade from those noisy, ugly, inefficient windows with central air conditioning or ductless mini-splits!

Trust Poore’s Propane with keeping your home cool when summer calls for it the most. Contact us today for A/C installation or service to help keep you comfortable!