Is Hot Air Coming From Your AC? Discover the Reasons

Summer in Florida can be an ordeal if you’re not prepared for it. It can be insufferable at night if you’re just trying to get some sleep.

Fortunately, modern central air conditioning usually takes care of this problem and cools us down. So when you turn on your AC and find hot air blowing through your vents, you know you’ve got a big problem.

What causes it? These three questions just might have the answers for you.

Did You Have A Power Surge?

The most common central AC configuration is a condenser unit outside the home that pumps cold air into the home, where the fan in the furnace distributes it throughout the home’s ventilation.

If you’re still feeling movement coming from your vents, that means the furnace fan is working but it’s not getting the cool air it needs from your condenser.

If you’ve had a power outage recently, check your condenser now to see if the fan is working. If it’s not, this means it’s not even getting electrical power to operate.

Inspect your circuit breakers to see if the switch for your AC needs to be reset.

If the switch is in the off position, just flip it back to the on position and your problem should be fixed.

But if your AC uses its own fuses, you may need to have them replaced.

Do You Have Enough Refrigerant?

Refrigerant is stored in the condenser, and it is the substance that makes air conditioning possible. It’s a class of chemicals that has a very unique property.

When changes from liquid into gas it absorbs all heat, leaving cold air in its wake. AC units use this behavior in a never-ending cycle.

This doesn’t mean, however, that refrigerant is a fuel like gasoline that gets used up. Under normal circumstances, your refrigerant should last the life of your AC.

But if you have a break or defect where the refrigerant is stored, and it starts leaking, your AC won't function.

Is Your Condenser Covered In Ice?

Another problem you may have is that your condenser is iced up just like it’s the middle of winter in Alaska.

This is a bit more common than you think, and it doesn’t mean your AC is twice as powerful as the others on your street.

What it does mean is that the cold air is being produced, but it’s not actually getting pumped into your home to be ventilated throughout.

This might mean your condenser has an airflow problem that is blocking proper distribution, or you may have a mechanical issue.