Causes of short cycling:
Dirty and clogged air filters
If the air filters of your AC get dirty, they will become clogged, causing problems with the smooth airflow of the system. Eventually, short cycling will occur as the heat will get restricted, not giving the path to blow cool air. Therefore, the HVAC system will turn on and off more than usual without cooling the room as required.
It is recommended by professional technicians to change the air filters every three months. However, if the environment around your ac is prone to more smoke and dust, then frequent cleaning of the air filters is necessary.
Low refrigerant level or refrigerant leak
The liquid refrigerant is essential for drawing heat from your room as it pressurizes the fluid to trigger the chemical reaction. A low refrigerant level or refrigerant leak will lead to HVAC short cycling as heat will not be released properly.
Seek the help of an HVAC professional to find any leaks or to recharge the refrigerant. It should be fixed as soon as possible to prevent short cycling of your HVAC and higher energy bills.
Leaks in air ducts
Leaks in the air ducts of your HVAC system will allow untreated air from outside to enter your room. This will result in a short cycling ac unit as it will undergo excessive stress, causing higher energy bills.
Failing compressor
If your compressor motor is malfunctioning, maybe it’s time you install a new ac unit. A compressor is a major component of the HVAC system for the smooth regulation of the cooling cycle. If your ac unit is old, the compressor must have worn and torn down excessively, making problems in the turning off and on of the air conditioner.
If your ac still falls under the warranty, replacing the compressor will be cheaper than installing a new ac unit. But if the warranty period has expired, you can consider installing a new ac unit because the cost will be somewhat the same.
Improper size of the air conditioner
Both an oversized and an undersized conditioner will cause problems, leading to short cycling of the ac unit. An oversized ac will cool the room more than required, leading to a hamper in efficiency and higher energy bills. An undersized ac unit will face difficulty cooling the room to the required temperature, inflicting stress on the system. You have to replace the whole ac unit if the problem is an improper-sized air conditioner.
Dirt and ice inside the evaporator coil or condenser coil
The evaporator coils of the ac help to remove latent heat from the house. An iced or dirty evaporator coil will make the system too cold on the front inside, which will result in short cycling hvac.
A dirty condenser coil will have problems blowing away the heat of the system, and thus, it will hamper the cooling cycle.
Call for hvac services to clean or remove ice from the coils to prevent short cycling.
Thermostat issues
A miscalibrated thermostat will set the incorrect temperature, and it will make the system turn off before the full cooling cycle. Thus, short cycling of the ac unit will occur.
The problem also lies in the improper placement of the thermostat. The presence of the thermostat in areas of high heat or in direct sunlight can make it work less efficiently.
The low-pressure control switch isn’t working
The control switch regulates your HVAC system properly in case of any discrepancies, like high or low refrigerant pressure. A fault in this switch will make the system turn on or shut down at unnecessary times of the cooling cycle, eventually causing HVAC short cycling.
Electrical issues
One of the reasons for short cycling ac, which is generally ignored, is issues in the electrical system of the HVAC system. If one of the connections in the system is loose, the connectivity becomes corroded. This will shut down the system before the cooling cycle and result in short cycling of the air conditioner.
Please consult a professional technician to fix any electrical problems in your system; otherwise, your safety will be at stake.
