One of the most common signs of air conditioner problems is short cycling. This term is used to describe an air conditioner that doesn’t run the air cycle correctly. It could mean that it runs too long or runs too short. Regardless, it doesn’t provide proper cooling to your home, and is often a sign of serious problems.
In some cases, short cycling can mean that your air conditioner is either too large or too small for your home and cannot keep up with cooling needs. For older installations, it can mean a number of different issues including electrical problems, frozen evaporator coils, low or leaking refrigerant, or even just a clogged air filter.
However, what most homeowners don’t know is how long your air conditioner should actually run. You can’t diagnose short cycling yourself if you don’t know, which means you will likely wait until the problem becomes more serious to call for repair.
How Long Should An Air Conditioner Cycle Be?
On the hottest days of the year, you will notice that your AC runs almost constantly. This is as it is designed to be. However, on milder days, your AC will run less. A typical air conditioner cycle lasts for around 15 minutes. It will then do this cycle two or three times per hour in order to keep a steady temperature.
If your air conditioner is not shutting off even in mild temperatures or if the cycle last less than 10 minutes, it is short cycling. Once this is diagnosed, you can do things like check your air filter. However, other causes of this issue should be left to a professional air conditioner technician. If you are having short cycling issues with your AC, contact us today to see what Tri County Air Care can do to help.