What Causes Air Conditioner Short Cycling

Have you ever noticed your air conditioner turning itself on and off every few minutes? If so, you have a problem. That behavior is called short cycling, and is a major threat to the health of your air conditioner. If the root of the problem is not found and fixed, short cycling can shorten the lifespan of the system and increase the chances of parts breaking down. Read on to find out why short cycling happens, and why you need to call for repairs as soon as you notice it happening.

What Causes Short Cycling?

There are a number of possible causes of short cycling. First, it’s possible that the thermostat is malfunctioning and sending bad signals to the air conditioning system. A lot of people immediately assume that something is wrong with the AC itself when it starts acting strangely, forgetting that the thermostat is the core of any climate control system.

It’s also possible that the compressor is damaged or faulty. The compressor is the part of the air conditioner that sends refrigerant gas from the evaporator coil to the condenser coil. This part helps keep the air conditioner operating with the proper rhythm. If the compressor is having problems, it can throw off the rhythm of the air conditioner and cause it to short cycle.

Why It’s a Threat

As mentioned above, short cycling is a massive threat to an air conditioning system. The air conditioner is designed to operate in preset cycles. Shutting the system down before that cycle is complete will put the air conditioner under much more strain than it is meant to handle. This added wear and tear will cause the various parts of the system to start breaking down, and will make it far more likely for the entire air conditioner to breakdown long before its time.

Bell Plumbing and Heating offers air conditioner repair services throughout Denver, CO.