What Is Short Cycling?

Considering how hot it can be in our area, and how long the heat can stick around throughout the year, it is pretty safe to say that keeping your air conditioner in great working condition should be a top priority. That being said, even the best air conditioners on the market, and even those that receive regular tune-ups, can run into operational problems from time to time. If and when yours does, you really do need to schedule prompt AC repair in Rancho Cucamonga.

Of course, you don’t want to wait for your air conditioner to break down entirely before you go ahead and schedule professional air conditioning repairs. That is why you should be on the lookout for any problems that may require professional repair services. One that is pretty hard to ignore is short cycling. It has a number of drawbacks in terms of AC performance,  and can hint at some pretty serious underlying problems with your system.

What It Is

When your air conditioner runs,  it is supposed to do so in regular and even cycles. It shouldn’t be cooling your home down to extremely cold temperatures, then sitting idly as the temperature rises back up again. It also shouldn’t be starting up,  running only very briefly, and then shutting back down, only to start back up, run briefly again, and then shut back down once more. This latter phenomenon is what we call short cycling.

What’s the Problem?

Quite a few, actually. If your air conditioner is starting and stopping much more frequently than it should be, then it is going to suffer a lot of unnecessary wear and tear.  This increases the risk of damage to your system. Short cycling also drives up energy costs. It requires more energy to start an air conditioner up than it does to keep one running at a regular clip, after all. If your system has to start itself over and over, it is going to cost you more to run. Not only that, but its performance quality will drop. That leaves you paying more for less comfort!

What’s the Cause?

There are a lot of different reasons why an air conditioner may short cycle. Not all of them are terribly serious, either. For instance,  you could have a very dirty air filter in your system. This will restrict airflow to the point that the system starts to overheat as it tries to cool your home. It will then shut itself down to prevent damage. Changing the filter should solve the problem if this is the case.

It could also be a huge issue underlying the symptom, though. Has your air conditioner always short cycled? If so, then your system may actually be too big for your home. That may not sound like a big deal. After all, it will cool your home more quickly that way, right? Well, yes, it will cool your home. But at the expense of your budget and the condition of your system, as mentioned above.

You could also have a refrigerant leak in your air conditioner. That may not cause an immediate breakdown, but it is one of the more serious issues that you can encounter. Refrigerant plays an integral role in the operation of your AC. Running an AC with a low refrigerant charge can do serious compressor damage, which may result in the need for replacement. Contact Goettl Air Conditioning for your AC repair service needs.

G-O-E-T-T-L it’ll keep you cool, but it’s hard to spell.