That was a little HVAC joke for you, but in all seriousness, if your AC is running all the time, that is a problem. When your unit runs all day and night without shutting off it is using a lot more electricity than normal which will drive up your electric bill. It is also putting a strain on your air conditioner and causing damage to the unit itself because it is working in overdrive for an extended period of time.
Here are some common reasons your unit could be running constantly and what you should do about it before it gets away from you.
- Check your air filter. When was the last time you changed it? We recommend changing your air filter every three months. Air filters remove the dust and debris from your home and if the air filter is dirty, it could be restricting air flow which will make your air conditioner work harder to pump out air. Check out our step-by-step guide on how to change your air filter.
- Dirty coils. When was the last time you had your unit serviced? If it has been a long time, the evaporator coil could be covered with dirt, mud, grass, or even pet hair, that could be restricting the air flow. Like with the air filter, low airflow means your unit is going to go into overdrive to try to cool down your home.
- Broken thermostat. Your air conditioner could be running fine but if your thermostat is not registering, your unit will not know when it has reached the correct temperature so it will keep running. To check to see if your thermostat is working, put another thermostat near your current one. Wait two hours and check the reading to see if it is at the temperature you set it for. If it is not, the problem is more than likely with your thermostat.
- Wrong size unit. If your unit is too small to cool the size of your home, it will have to run all the time to try to reach your desired temperature.
- Air conditioning unit needs maintenance. Your air conditioning unit requires regular maintenance and without it, it could stop working as desired. We recommend that you get your unit serviced twice a year to keep it running smoothly.
Stop the Running
Most of the issues listed above can be prevented with regular maintenance. Our clients on maintenance plans have had a less than 2% failure rate over the last two years! Included in the Maintenance Plan are two cleaning visits. We will come out once in the fall and once in the spring to make sure everything is in tip-top shape. Check out the other benefits of our Maintenance Plan.
If your air conditioner is currently running all the time, do not wait to call us. The longer you wait to take care of the problem, the worse it can get. Call us today at 919-755-1957.