If your air conditioner is only running for a short period of time and then shutting off before it’s done cooling, you’re probably experiencing a problem called short-cycling. This isn’t fun, and it can raise your energy bills and cause serious damage to your system.

There are many things that could be causing your AC to short cycle, including a dirty filter or refrigerant leak. But before you call a professional, here are some things to check first.

1. Check the Thermostat

The thermostat is a critical part of your heating and cooling system. It controls the temperature in your home, and when it’s not functioning properly, it can cause major issues with your HVAC unit.

It may be a simple matter of changing the batteries in your thermostat, and if that doesn’t solve the problem, you might have a wiring issue or a bad transformer.

In any case, it’s best to call an AC repair Colorado Springs professional for assistance.

The thermostat is the brain of your heating and cooling system, and when it’s malfunctioning, it will look like other parts of your system are experiencing issues. If you have any issues with your thermostat, it’s important to start troubleshooting immediately to prevent further damage.

2. Check the Condenser

If your AC turns on, but your home’s air doesn’t cool down, there could be a problem with the condenser. The condenser contains the compressor and an outdoor coil.

The condenser fan motor runs to turn the blades and blow air across the outdoor coil, which cools refrigerant from a hot gas into a liquid.

If the fan motor isn’t running, check for a thermal overload reset button on the side of the fan motor. The thermal overload switch will trip if the motor gets too hot, but if it clicks back into place after you press the button, it’s likely fine.

3. Check the Filter

One of the most important tasks that you can do to help your air conditioner run more efficiently is to clean or replace its filter. A clogged filter can cause a lot of problems for your system, including wear and tear on its parts.

Fortunately, cleaning and replacing filters isn’t a difficult task. The interval for cleaning or replacing depends on the model of your system and your use habits, but it’s recommended that you do it at least once a month.

The first step is to locate your filter. It typically resides in a slot near your air handler or behind the return vent grille.

4. Check the Compressor

The compressor is at the heart of your air conditioning system. Its job is to pressurize your refrigerant so it can absorb the heat from indoors and release it outside.

A faulty compressor can cost you money and energy if you don’t fix it early enough. But a little work is usually all that’s necessary to fix an AC compressor.

You can check the condition of your AC compressor with a multimeter. To do this, place your positive lead on one of the connector terminals and your negative lead on the negative post of your battery.

5. Check the Wiring

One of the most common reasons for an air conditioner to not work is faulty wiring. This can lead to a number of problems, including circuit breakers tripping, fuses blowing, or the system shutting down altogether.

If you’re a DIY-er, it’s fairly easy to check the wiring on an air conditioner using a multimeter. The first thing to do is test the wiring at the thermostat.

The next step is to use the multimeter to test each wire from the thermostat to the common terminal. If no short or connection exists between any of the wires and the common terminal, the meter should read OL.

Finally, the technician can test the Y wire that leads from the furnace or air handler to the outdoor unit. This wire should have a resistance reading of less than 0.5 Ohms to the common terminal.