Possible Causes of AC Short-Cycling and Rising Cooling Costs

There are a number of potential reasons why your heating or cooling bills might be higher than you’d like, including which state you happen to live in. But there are also many individual circumstances that may lead to rising bills, and as a homeowner you are the first line of defense for noticing and identifying such issues if they’re taking place.

One such concern, particularly common during cooling season with air conditioner units, is known as short-cycling. This issue involves the unit turning itself on and off far too often, an issue that leads to harm to your equipment plus increasing utility costs to achieve the same level of coolness. Here are some of the potential culprits in short-cycling and what you might be able to do about them.

Unit Too Large

The most common cause of short-cycling is an issue that begins during the installation period for your AC unit. Whether you’ve gotten a bad recommendation from an HVAC professional or have insisted on a product they didn’t recommend, some homes have AC units installed in them that are far too large for their actual needs.

While you might think this isn’t an issue and will simply make your system more efficient, this isn’t the case. Units that are too large will cool the space too quickly – this means they won’t have time to properly dehumidify various rooms, another vital factor the AC plays. This also causes gigantic temperature swings, which cause the system to turn off and on constantly. This wears down the motor and other components, plus raises your monthly bill all while providing the same level of cooling.

Air Filter Clogging

In other cases, badly clogged air filters that have not been changed for several months will force your system to work harder just to pump the same amount of air into your home. In severe cases, the system’s condenser may become overheated and automatically turn off – when this happens repeatedly, short-cycling is the result.

Refrigerant Loss

Over a period of years, AC units may run low on refrigerant. This is the substance that actually produces cooling. When it is running low, the condenser may once again overheat, turning itself off and beginning the short-cycling theme. In other cases, refrigerant may be lost due to a specific leak, which you should have addressed by an HVAC professional.

Thermostat Malfunctions

Finally, another possible cause of short-cycling is a thermostat that is malfunctioning in some way. This is often due to a poor electrical connection with the rest of the system, one that causes signals to be mixed up and turns the system on and off regularly even when it shouldn’t be. If you can’t locate the issue using your manual and after checking the batteries and basic connections, contact HVAC pros for assistance.

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