We probably don’t have to tell you that our cooling season begins a lot earlier than in other parts of the country. We’d be surprised if you told us you weren’t already using your air conditioner daily. This makes now the perfect time to check for any problems that your cooling system may have—any indicators that your AC may be operating inefficiently or ineffectively.
If you do notice something amiss, then the best thing you can do is to shut off your air conditioner and give our professionals a call to schedule professional San Antonio, TX air conditioning services.
Low Airflow: A Common Cooling System Problem
One of the most common AC problems we get calls for—especially in a system that is not regularly maintained—is a reduction in airflow coming out of the vents. The reason this is such a problem is because it reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of the system—forcing it to work harder than it should have to to do its job.
Over a year, the costs of running an air conditioner with low airflow will rise, and the chances of a serious breakdown will rise right along with it. Noticing low airflow from your vents is one of the most straightforward ways to identify a problem before it becomes a huge emergency—contact our professionals today should you notice this issue.
But, What Causes Low Airflow?
The exact cause of your reduced airflow will need to be determined by a trained HVAC professional, but the answer you can expect may include one or more of the following:
- Faulty indoor blower motor.
- Frozen evaporator coil due to malfunction.
- The fan speed is too low.
- Dirty coils (most often caused by the air filter not being changed often enough).
- Debris, obstruction, or closed damper in your ductwork.
- Loose and/or worn fan belt.
There are two general sources for low airflow: something is blocking the flow of air, or something is reducing the power that’s doing the blowing. If something’s blocking the airflow, then it could be ductwork damage, like crimps or leaks. Or, it could be a clogged air filter—a simple issue to resolve. If you notice that the problem only seems to be impacting one or two vents instead of the whole home, it’s likely an air duct problem and not an issue with the system itself.
If something is reducing the power that’s doing the blowing, then it’s likely that the problem is fan-based. It may be an issue with the fan belt, fan motor, or even the fan blades themselves—they might have been jarred or they are bent. Whatever the case, this would cause insufficient power to blow the cooled air throughout your air ducts, cutting down on the efficiency and raising the strain on the rest of the system. Until this problem is addressed, your AC system will run a higher chance of a breakdown.
For expert air conditioning services in the San Antonio area, reach out to Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating today!
