Updated at: 28-10-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Is your AC always turning itself off?

We’ll assist you in resolving this aggravating problem with your air conditioner.

You may have one of the following issues if your air conditioner suddenly shuts down on its own:

  • a malfunctioning thermostat
  • Isn’t receiving enough air flow to the AC
  • The condensate line is jammed
  • The amount of refrigerant in the air is low.
  • Short-cycling is AC.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these concerns in turn.

Do you need an expert to come out and fix your air conditioner? Our trusted technicians are standing by, ready to help!*

1. Short Cycling

This occurs when the system is prevented from completing a full cooling cycle by something inside the system. It’s impossible to be comfortable in your own house when the unit is constantly turning on and off, and that can also increase your energy costs and shorten the lifespan of your system.

While it may seem like a minor inconvenience, this can quickly turn into a huge drain on your energy costs. Continuous on-and-off cycling can also put a lot of strain on your air conditioner, which may lead to a breakdown.

Maintaining your heating and air conditioning system is the most important thing you can’t actually short-cycle. It is possible to identify and correct potential problems throughout this cycle so that you avoid short-cycling troubles.

8 Easy Steps to Keep Your Air-Conditioning In Perfect State

Why is short cycling an issue?

When your air conditioner cycles on, runs for a short time, then shuts off, you might not think it’s a huge concern. Why should your air conditioner be on all the time? In addition, your system should not wait until the fever rises to dangerous levels.

However, your AC should be running in full short cycling mode nonetheless. The brief cycling will have a variety of negative repercussions because it is starting and shutting down so quickly. Aside from increased cooling expenses, aircon compressor short cycling, and overall reduced performance standards, we recommend doing a few checks and contacting a technician if you notice this issue with your system.

What causes short cycling?

AC system short cycling has numerous serious reasons, as is the case with many AC system faults. There is a possibility that you have a system that is too large for your home, which is certainly the case given that it has always short cycled. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do in this situation is switch to a new system that is better suited to your house.

A faulty thermostat is another common cause of short-cycling. When the thermostat detects erroneous readings, the cooling cycle is interrupted. A new thermostat can be installed or repaired by a professional in the field of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

If the filter is clogged with dust, the system will have a difficult time moving air. Overheating and shutting down can occur as a result of this. The blower motor may have been overtaxed as a result of the clogged filter, necessitating frequent system restarts.

It is also possible that your system is leaking refrigerant, which is far more dangerous. The fluid that allows for heat transfer in your air conditioner is called refrigerant. An overheated unit, frequent ac cycles on and off, and eventual system failure are all possible consequences of a lack of refrigerant in your air conditioning system.

2. Thermostat failure

For the most part, thermostats are excellent. They’re a solid piece of technology. Your thermostat will most likely be replaced if it breaks down. This is a common problem with thermostats, in which the temperature never reaches the level you’ve set it for.

A thermostat’s interior can become filthy over time. When this happens, the thermostat is unable to accurately gauge your home’s temperature. If your thermostat isn’t set appropriately, it can lead to this problem. Ideally, your thermostat should be at least 5 feet away from the front door, but you don’t need it in direct sunlight.

You can utilize this gadget to build up the favored indoor temperature, and the system ought to promptly consent accordingly. On the off chance that the room keeps on feeling the equivalent after some time has gone, there is likely an issue.

Using this device, you can set your preferred indoor temperature, and the system should quickly agree. If the room continues to feel the same after some time has passed, there is probably a problem there.

3. Dirty air filter

When it comes to reducing the efficiency of an air conditioner, clogged filters are one of the most well-known problems. Despite this, filters are often the least thought about component of an air conditioner system.

As a result, your air conditioner is unable to cool your home effectively when its air filters are blocked. When the power charge begins to rise, it can be difficult to figure out what is causing it.

It’s possible that the problem is with the device itself, or with the AC system as a whole. Because we rely so much on broadcasting in real-time molding when the weather warms up, Floridians should expect higher utility expenditures in the late spring.

Your air conditioner may overheat if your HVAC system filter is clogged or unclean. During the course of the day, your air conditioner should run on and off in cycles. When the AC’s filter is clogged, it has to work harder to keep up. Squeezing it can cause it to overheat and shut down your air conditioner repeatedly.

Should You Turn Up The AC When You Leave Home?

How to clean an air conditioner’s filter is a related topic.

4. Compressor issue

Compressors are often located in the outer unit of ordinary private air molding systems. Compressors use pressure as their primary working principle, as their name implies. Packing low-pressure, vaporous refrigerant into an air conditioner until it’s sizzling and heavier is how it works. The condenser receives the vaporous refrigerant at this stage.

Your system’s refrigerant lines can break or develop openings from time to time. Your system’s refrigerant charge drops as a result of leaks in these lines. If an unqualified person works on your air conditioner and mistakenly adds too much refrigerant or the wrong kind of refrigerant, it can be a dangerous mistake for your compressor.

If the cooling efficiency of your unit declines and you find that the house is not being cooled to your requirements, this suggests that refrigerant has leaked. During operation, several components of your air molding system collect soil, residue, and other debris.

These parts include your condenser curl. As a result of this buildup of soil, your system is compelled to work harder to maintain a consistent temperature. Compressor overheats because of the amount of heat trapped in the system and the weight it places on the system. This can also cause your air conditioner to cycle on and off constantly.

Compressor testing is covered in this related article:

5. Condenser issue

Temperature in a room can be eliminated and trapped by the refrigerant, which then radiates this warmth to the outer world. The condenser helps it accomplish this.

It’s a complex system that includes an evaporator, compressor, and condenser, in addition to fans and channels. Most systems have two distinct units, one inside your home and one outdoors. Packaged systems, on the other hand, store everything in one place.

Spills inside seals and fractured cylinders can cause condenser failure. The cylinders may become squeaky or wear out and break if they’ve been used for a long period of time. Consult with a seasoned contractor to identify potential spills. Condenser failure is possible when your AC unit becomes clogged up with flotsam and jetsam and other unwanted particles over time.

While some of these particles may be outside, metal particles that have entered the condenser are usually to blame. Mortgage holders can avoid this problem by ensuring that their properties are properly maintained. Your open-air unit’s condenser coils, which remove heat from the air, expel it outside the building. It’s not going to work as expected. It’s also a pretty common problem. Heat movement is restricted when this happens, so your unit has to work harder to carry out its duties, resulting in increased wear and possibly system failure.

Related content: Condenser coils that are dirty

6. Freon leaking

In the cooling process, refrigerant acquires a key role. The refrigerant’s job is to keep your house warm and deliver it to the outer world. It will take longer to chill your home or office if the refrigerant level is low.

Leaks of freon are one of the most commonly encountered problems with air molding systems. What is the chemical name for the refrigerant used in air conditioners? Cooling your home with freon, more commonly known as refrigerant, involves removing heated air from your air conditioning system and venting it outdoors. Regardless, freon can leak for a variety of causes. Freon is a danger to health.

Freon is a deadly damage substance, and thus, freon breaks ought to be dealt with by a specialist air molding repair professional. Breathing in freon is profoundly noxious and could bring about death. Likewise, freon spills exhaust the ozone layer and are risky for the earth.

Freon is a lethal chemical, and it should only be handled by a trained air molding repair technician when it breaks. The noxiousness of breathing in freon is so severe that it could result in death. Similarly, the ozone layer is depleted by freon spills, which pose a threat to the environment.

In the event of a freon leak or malfunction, a professional air molding repair technician should be called in. Inhaling the toxic fumes of freon could result in death. Freon spills, on the other hand, damage the ozone layer and pose a threat to the environment.

Because freon is a hazardous chemical, it should only be handled by a trained air molding repair technician. The noxiousness of breathing in freon is so severe that it could lead to death. In the same way, ozone-depleting freon discharges pose a danger to the environment.

7. Evaporator coil freeze

Refrigerant is circulated by two sets of coils or copper tubing in your air conditioner. In the evaporator and evaporator coils, the refrigerant is transformed from a fluid to a vapor. It absorbs heat when it undergoes state transitions. When the vaporized refrigerant reaches the condenser coils, it is transformed back into a liquid and is used to generate heat. In both focal air molding units and warm siphons, cool air is generated through a similar cycle.

If left untreated, frozen coils pose a serious threat. This could turn out to be dangerous if you don’t catch these issues sooner. As an interesting side note, you may be able to remedy the problem yourself before the need for expensive repairs arises.

Your system will be put under additional stress if the main component freezes. The coils should be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure proper heat absorption; otherwise, they may freeze over.

It is common for ice to build up on a coil, resulting in the formation of more ice until the entire coil is coated in ice. An overheated blower fan or a dangerously overemphasized compressor could result from the A/C running indefinitely and not cycling off, causing damage.

Why Won't AC Turn On | Blog | Kearney HVAC | Salisbury, MA

How to make the air conditioner cooler is a related topic.

8. Large sized AC

If you install an unusually large air conditioner in your home, it will quickly cool it down to the point where it will cause damage to your AC and raise your energy costs. The air conditioner in your home needs to run on regular cycles if you want to dehumidify the air. ACs that are greater than normal will cycle on and off from time to time.

Furthermore, if your air conditioner is constantly shutting off, it won’t be able to operate long enough to remove moisture from the heated air in your house. Several engines of your air conditioner suddenly start up. It’s also more powerful when these engines are fired up than when they’re in operation. Your AC’s engines are using more power than they should if they are turning randomly. This results in higher energy costs.

Increasing the output of your air conditioner is the exact opposite of what is needed if mugginess has become a problem in your area. As a result of the increased wetness brought on by a larger-than-average air conditioner, your home’s air quality may deteriorate.

Anyone who suffers from asthma or any other respiratory ailment should be aware of this. When your home’s air conditioner is the correct size, it can operate for long enough to remove the majority of the excess mugginess from the air. However, if you have a huge air conditioner, the system will only run for a few seconds at a time.

The BTU calculation formula for air conditioners is discussed in a related article.

9. Capacitor issue

If your power keeps going out, it’s possible that your capacitor is malfunctioning. Air molding machines and most electro-mechanical devices use capacitors as their core components. Capacitors attached to engines provide the task of balancing voltage and providing the necessary shock to start the engine in any scenario.

In addition to the compressor engine, blower engine, and open-air fan, the capacitors are used to power the three principal engines. After turning on the AC, the compressor will make a whirring noise. This may take some time to get going. It’s possible that the capacitor will also generate a noticeable clicking noise during use.

Another symptom is a rise in utility bills because the AC system will need to use more power as the capacitor depletes. Because of this, the air conditioner won’t function well in the long term. A “hard start” is the most well-known problem that bad capacitors can cause. This is the point where an air conditioner’s compressor has trouble starting, falters when trying to kill on, and then closes off after a brief time.

However, a bad beginning capacitor is the most well-known cause of hard starting (the most horrifying of which is a compressor nearing a stunning ending). It’s not always easy to figure out if a problem with the starting capacitor is to blame. One of our experts will conduct an inspection and conduct electrical tests to ensure that the capacitor is not damaged in any way (e.g., splitting, protruding, leaking oil).

Related content: How can you fix an air conditioner’s power supply?

10. Loose wiring/cable

The root cause of a large majority of household electrical problems can be traced back to a single problem: improper or loosening wire connections. Fires can be caused by short circuits that aren’t taken care of quickly enough. Often, a wiring problem stems from an incorrect type of circuit, a defective capacitor, or a malfunctioning thermostat.

Check to see if the elegant line of the new units has a built-in electrical switch. Using a multi-meter, check the terminal strip where the gracious string is attached, to ensure that you have adequate voltage. You can then remove the bureau. The flexible string should never be repaired or altered; nevertheless, any imperfection should be replaced.

Running your air conditioner may induce stumbling if the wiring is faulty, but obstructed airways may also be to blame. When the fan in the outside unit reaches its maximum speed, it may stop running. It’s possible that your air conditioner won’t turn on at all in extreme circumstances. The hardware’s numerous components are connected by a variety of flexible electrical connections.

There is a chance that wires will become disconnected from the section or the force source over time. This causes a disruption in the current flow to the affected area and eventually a breakdown.

11. Timer issue

Even if you’ve never used them, your thermostat likely has timing settings. Check your thermostat’s handbook or the menus to see if you can modify the timing. Check to see if somebody in your house or workplace has set the air conditioner to turn on or off by itself at a specified time, even if it seems obvious.

It’s possible that you have the timer set incorrectly. Newer versions, especially those that have earned the Energy Star label, feature power-saving features that can shut down the air conditioning system on their own if necessary. If the timer is broken, you must act swiftly. If that happens, the AC will automatically turn on and off.

12. Wrong thermostat location

As a result of short-cycling, a heating or cooling cycle is not completed to its fullest extent. This leads to insufficient heating and cooling, implying an unsatisfactory indoor climate. When thermostats first came out, mechanical switches like bimetallic strips with mercury or an appealing switch were used to control the temperature.

When the temperature in the room changes, a mercury switch’s coil expands or contracts, tilting a mercury-filled glass bulb. It is possible to close or open a circuit depending on where the mercury is in the cylinder, as it connects the positive and negative leads in a single finish.

The best location for your thermostat is on an interior divider, away from the previously discussed regions (direct daylight, air vents, your kitchen, passages, windows, and entryways). It’s best if you put it in front of the house’s main attraction. It’s also a good idea to think about the rooms your family and you use the most.

You run the danger of getting inaccurate readings if you place your thermostat in direct sunlight. In order to determine if the heating or cooling system should be activated, the thermostat monitors the temperature in the room where it is located.

If your thermostat is positioned near a bay window and warmed by direct sunlight, it may “believe” the room is hotter than it really is, causing your air conditioner to turn on when it isn’t necessary. Temperatures in your home should be appropriately represented by your thermostat. When the thermostat is installed above or near an air vent, the temperature measurements are skewed since the thermostat is the first thing that is touched by the approaching air.

13. Airflow restriction

No matter how well your air conditioner cools the air, it’s useless if it can’t circulate it around your house. Cool air is circulated throughout your house by your ventilation system’s fan in unified systems. Even if the airflow is restricted, that cannot happen. In order to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home, your air conditioner will have to work overtime, increasing the risk of a major malfunction as well as increasing your monthly utility expenditures.

Consider the thickness of the furnace filter when setting the fan speed and planning the ventilation job. When the filter’s thickness is increased due to dirt, it reduces the weight of the air being moved, resulting in uneven or inadequate air appropriation. By maintaining the proper static weight, air is transported through the ventilation system and delivered to its intended place. As a last resort, the air’s weight will diminish, preventing it from achieving its intended goal.

There are more and more instances of inadequate ventilation. As a result, the planned airflow measurement will fall short of the desired result.

For a closed-circle system, a limited air HVAC system is the best option. To the ideal, it makes a certain amount of air, which is transferred around the house, adapted, and then redistributed. Ideally. As soon as the ventilation work is implemented, it’s possible that the area may never receive the air it was planned to receive.

There is a greater amount of choppiness and outlandishness when the air has to travel further and through more turns and curves than intended. This will prevent you from getting as much lift as it should since the run will be squashed or partially squashed, bent, or crimped.

Articles related to air conditioning placement:

Keeping your air conditioner working at peak efficiency and performance is critical in Singapore’s sweltering summers. Getting the greatest equipment, having it professionally installed, and keeping up with regular AC maintenance will help you get the most out of your air conditioner’s capabilities. However, there is no air conditioner that is perfect.

In any case, you should let your air conditioner run for at least fifteen minutes after turning it on. You may have a problem if you see cooling cycles occur less frequently than this. There should be no more than 10 minutes between turning on the air conditioning compressor and turning it back on. A short-cycling like this should not have an impact on your refrigeration system.

These are only a handful of the possible causes of an air molding unit turning on and off on its own. The formation of soil on the compressor or condenser, defects in the thermostat or timer, or problems with circuit load up are the most commonly recognized causes of this problem. In any event, homeowners and employees alike can find themselves in a bind when their air conditioners start and stop working on their own. So, if you detect any of these issues, don’t wait to get professional assistance.

You should also check out our most recent advice, how long should ac stay off between cycles, to get a better idea of how often an AC should cycle.

Want a Pittsburgh professional to fix your AC?

We’re pleased to help, thanks to our team of well-trained professionals. Before any work begins, we provide you with a written estimate so that there are no unpleasant surprises when it comes time to pay.

Visit our AC repair service page to learn more about what to expect if you choose us.

It’s A Wrap!

Why does my air conditioner shut off on its own without me having to do anything?

If the AC system or thermostat was recently installed, short cycles may be to blame for the unit shutting itself off.

You’ll need to speak with the person who installed the system to be certain.

You should do this to make sure that the thermostat and AC system are properly sized.