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Air Conditioning Repairs: Short Cycling

AC-technician-outdoorsLiving in South Carolina means that you need to have a great air conditioner working for you in your home. It is just too hot and humid for too much of the year to take any risks with the overall operation of your AC. That is why you should always schedule prompt air conditioning repairs in Columbia, SC. The longer that you wait to have your system put back on track by a skilled, trained professional, the worse off your system is likely to be.

Now, some homeowners are of the mind that a running air conditioner is an air conditioner that is running fine. This is not the case at all. Just because the system has not broken down entirely does not mean that you have nothing to worry about. In fact, you never want to wait until the point of a total breakdown to schedule your air conditioning repair services. If you notice an issue like short cycling, for instance, you should be dialing our number to have the root of problem resolved. 

What Is Short Cycling?

Your air conditioner cools the air in your home by evaporating refrigerant in the evaporator coil, which allows the refrigerant to draw heat out of the air in the house. Then, that refrigerant goes outside, where its heat is dispersed into the air surrounding the condenser coil. This cooling cycle is supposed to continue until desired temperatures are met in the home.

Short cycling is a phenomenon in which this cooling cycle is interrupted. Basically, the air conditioner will start up, run only briefly, and then cycle back down. Then, it starts up again, before shutting down rapidly once more. There are a few different causes of short cycling, and a number of detrimental effects resulting from the issue.

What Causes Short Cycling?

As mentioned above, there are a number of potential reasons as to why an air conditioner may short cycle. You could just have a very dirty filter that you need to be more mindful of replacing. This can restrict airflow to the point that the system will shut itself down to avoid straining the compressor.

Of course, you could also have a serious problem like a refirgerant leak. That is why it is important to contact a professional if there is no obvious cause of a problem. When there is not enough refrigerant in the system due to leaks, the compressor can overheat as it tries to cool your home successfully.

What Are the Effects?

When your system is short cycling, it is going to burn through energy. It takes more energy to start a system up than to keep it running. It will result in higher energy costs, even as your comfort plummets.

The system will also suffer excessive wear and tear that greatly increases the risk of repair needs. Do not allow short cycling to continue, only to have it damage your system. Schedule service with our team when you run into this problem.

Fulmer Heating & Cooling can repair your system successfully. 

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