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AC Cycles On & Off Every 10 Minutes? Air Conditioner Short Cycling in Rush City, MN

With us firmly in summer, people in Minnesota are relying on their air conditioners to keep their home or business cool and comfortable. When the A/C is on the fritz, people really take notice as the comfort indoors takes a hit. Some signs the air conditioner is not operating up to par are hearing different sounds, smelling unusual odors, or feeling different temperatures. A subtle issue is short cycling. No matter what you may observe, when the air conditioner is not performing to its full potential, having a professional diagnose and repair the unit early can save you money significantly, as well as a lot of time in discomfort. Today, we at North Country Aire would like to make people more aware of short cycling.

What is AC Short Cycling?

When the air conditioner is activated and only runs for a short time before shutting off and the starts up again soon after and continues to repeat this sequence, is an anomaly known as short cycling. Most homeowners do not identify short cycling initially, or the ones that do, often brush it off as a normal thing. However, when the air conditioner is short cycling, it indicates an underlying issue that often continues to create more problems. The air conditioner will accelerate the deterioration and cause an increase with your power bills at minimum.

Common Causes of Short Cycling

Due to the listed events below is commonly why the air conditioner is short cycling.
1) The air filters are overburdened.
2) The A/C unit is experiencing a malfunctioning electrical system.
3) Your home is equipped with an oversized air conditioner.
4) The evaporator coils have become frozen.
5) The air conditioner’s refrigerant is low.

Air Conditioner Short Cycling Troubleshooting & Repair

Apply the following steps should you notice your A/C short cycling.
1) Change or clean air filter. As the most overlooked maintenance step for your HVAC system, the air filter change or cleaning is the simplest. Depending on the individual’s factors, homeowners need to change the air filter every 4-12 weeks. By checking them in 4 weeks from a fresh filter and every week inspect them until they are filled to capacity, you can find the right pattern for your air filters. Take note of how many weeks the filters went and repeat this a few times in a row, so you get a good idea how often your filters need replaced or cleaning. Those who are sensitive to allergies and asthma attacks, people with pets, smokers, occupants in the home, climate, and other related factors should count on filter maintenance more frequently. Reusable filters can be cleaned, and disposable filters should be replaced; follow manufacturers’ directions on the type of filter you use. If the short cycling is occurring, check the air filters, as they could be the culprit.
2) Hire a licensed HVAC contractor. To diagnose the problem that is causing the unit to short cycle, you need a licensed professional. A professional can remedy the situation no matter if it is due to fault electrical systems, low refrigerant, frozen coils, or if the unit is improperly sized. Should you notice the frozen coils, be sure to turn the cooling system off from the thermostat immediately and call for a professional to prevent further damage.

Air Conditioning Troubleshooting, Diagnosis, Repair & More in Cambridge, St. Francis, Oak Grove, North Branch & Greater Isanti, Minnesota

For all of your air conditioner repairs, call in the certified experts of North Country Aire and let us do the rest.

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