Air Conditioner Not Cooling Enough? Here Is What You Can Do

If your air conditioner is not cooling enough, there are a few simple things you can do to make it cool better. Here are the steps to take to fix your air conditioner when it is cooling, but not enough:

• 1. Make sure there is a clean air filter

The filter is usually something that is easily overlooked but has big impact on the performance of the air conditioner…especially if it’s a higher efficiency filter. (Higher efficiency filters block more airflow.)

• 2. Gently clean the outdoor unit. If the outdoor coil has a layer of dirt on the surface, that can cause the air conditioner to not cool enough.

Pay close attention to the side of the unit that faces the house. The airflow is a little different and can tend to get dirtier than the other three sides.

• 3. Trim back trees and shrubs 8-10 feet from the outdoor unit.

The HVAC system needs to breathe. The outdoor unit is trying to take all the heat from inside the house and move it to the outside. If something is blocking the airflow above or around the outdoor fan, it can cause your air conditioner to not cool enough inside.

Bonus Tip: Make sure your dampers are open for the cooling season. Learn how to find and adjust your dampers here.

If you do all of the above and your air conditioner is still not working well, we would recommend scheduling an HVAC professional to come check out your air conditioning.