{"id":836,"date":"2022-10-10T11:00:34","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T15:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jmsacandheating.com\/blog\/?p=836"},"modified":"2022-10-10T16:20:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T20:20:07","slug":"why-is-my-hvac-unit-short-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jmsacandheating.com\/blog\/air-conditioning-service\/why-is-my-hvac-unit-short-cycling\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is My HVAC Unit Short Cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You may not realize it or think about it, but your AC unit is made up of tiny, intricate parts that all work together to cool your home. When something happens with just one screw or bolt, the damage can quickly spread throughout your unit and lead to a fairly common problem for residential air conditioners: short cycling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short cycling happens when your air conditioner turns on and off more frequently than it should between cooling cycles. If you suspect that your air conditioner is short cycling, your need Los Angeles air conditioning<\/a> repair. And our team can help! But first, it\u2019s important to understand what short cycling is and why it happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What is AC Short Cycling? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your air conditioner keeps your home cool all day long, but that doesn\u2019t mean that it is constantly running. Instead, your air conditioner works in cycles to blow cool air until your home reaches your desired temperature. Then the unit turns off again until the temperature rises enough that another cooling cycle is needed. Your thermostat monitors the indoor temperature and sends a signal to your AC unit when it\u2019s time for another cooling cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, a cooling cycle lasts for around 15 minutes and the cycles run two to three times each hour. Short cycling happens when cooling cycles are shorter than 15 minutes and more frequent than two to three times per hour. Your AC may turn on to cool your home and run for five minutes before turning it off again. Your home never reaches the desired temperature, so your thermostat keeps signaling for the unit to turn on again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your home never gets cool, and your compressor takes on additional wear and tear from turning on and off so frequently. Short cycling can also cost you more on your energy bill because your unit ends up running for longer than it would otherwise \u2013 but without the desired cooling results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is My AC Short Cycling? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are many contributing factors that can cause short cycling. There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all solution, so short cycling requires a professional inspection to determine the cause. You may not think that short cycling is a big deal if your home is still cool, but it is. Allowing your AC to run in short cycles can cause even more problems and lead to expensive repairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common reasons for AC short cycling include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n