All That You Must Know About Short-Cycling in Your Air Conditioner

Many of your room air conditioners must be turning on and off by themselves without any specific reason. This is called short cycling and is one of the most common reasons the life span of your air conditioner may get shortened. You may call a professional if you observe this problem too frequently.

This short cycling can be a serious issue that may also reduce the capacity of your air conditioner to keep your home perfectly cool. As a result, your AC condenser may need more regular repairs.

Let me discuss in this post, all the information you need to know about short cycling and when should I contact a specialist HVAC near me to resolve this issue.

Why your air conditioner is short cycling?

There can be many reasons that will cause your air conditioner to go into short cycling mode, but a few of the most common reasons are as mentioned below.

1.     Dirty or clogged air filter


When the filter is clogged, your system will struggle to draw through enough fresh air. As a result, your system may overheat and get turned on early in the cycle.

2.     Your evaporator coils of the air conditioner have frozen


This could also happen if you operate your AC in a cool environment or it could be due to a variety of mechanical issues. You must just turn off your system and wait for it to defrost entirely. In case your coils freeze again, you must call a specialist.

3.     The capacity of your air conditioner is too high for the area


The size and power rating of your AC must match the size of your room. It may release an excessive amount of cold chilly air, causing your AC to short cycle.

The big unit must be changed to one that is a better fit for your room if you want to find a remedy for this problem.

4.     The refrigerant is either leaking or has become low


If the refrigerant levels become low then it makes your AC work harder to cool your room, which might result in certain malfunctions and cause brief cycling of your AC.

5.     There can be issues with the electrical system of your AC


Short cycling can also be due to problems with wiring and control boards. If you think there is a certain electrical problem, then you should avoid operating your equipment until you have called a specialist.

How to stop short-cycling?


There are several ways you can prevent short cycling to occur in your air conditioner.

  • Frequently inspect and clean your air filter
  • Check the thermostat placement
  • Check the air conditioner’s refrigerant levels
  • Replace your low-pressure control switch
  • Check the compressor of your air conditioner.

Most short-cycling concerns can easily be avoided with routine maintenance done through a professional Heating and air conditioning expert in your area.

If your air conditioner is defective and causing short-cycling issues, then you must consider replacing it with one that is correctly fit to the unique air conditioning requirements of your room.