There are several air conditioning problems that can easily be solved by the homeowner before calling for air conditioning service. An AC blowing hot air is a common complaint that may be caused by a number of issues. Before calling in an HVAC professional, troubleshoot your system with the help of these tips:

Check The Thermostat

It’s common to accidentally turn the thermostat setting to “heat” instead of “cooling.” Make sure your thermostat is set to “cooling” and turn it down 5 degrees. Wait a few minutes to see if changing the setting or lowering the thermostat did the trick.

Check The Outdoor Unit

Make sure the outdoor condensing unit is turned on. If so, check for debris, such as grass clippings, dirt and nearby plant growth, which can become trapped in the fins of your outdoor condensing unit and prevent proper airflow to your system. Hose down the unit to remove the debris.

Check The Air Filter

The air filter in your air conditioner prevents dust from building up inside your system. While the filter is probably not completely responsible for your AC blowing hot air, it can play a major part. When the filter becomes clogged, air doesn’t flow optimally to or from your unit. Turn off the power to your air conditioner and change the filter if it’s dirty.

Check for Ice

Ice buildup on either the indoor or outdoor unit may signal a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is the chemical responsible for cooling the air in your system. Leaks must be addressed by a qualified HVAC professional due to the dangers of refrigerant to humans and to the environment.

If your air conditioner continues to blow hot air, contact an HVAC technician to inspect and repair your system. As always, planned annual preventive maintenance on your air conditioner can prevent a number of common problems with your system, including your AC blowing hot air, throughout the cooling season. It also increases system efficiency to save you money and extends the operating life of your unit.

Two essential monthly tasks that homeowners can perform to prevent problems like the AC blowing hot air are changing the air conditioner filter when it’s dirty and hosing down the outdoor unit to remove debris trapped in the fins.