What to Do When Your AC Is Running but No Air Is Coming Out of the Vents: Expert Tips from AV Heating & Cooling
There’s nothing more frustrating than having your AC running but no air coming out of the vents, especially during the hot summer months. As a homeowner in Independence, MO, you rely on your air conditioning system to keep your home comfortable.
Since 2009, AV Heating & Cooling has been the trusted expert in the area, providing reliable and professional HVAC services. Before you call in the experts from AV Heating & Cooling, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to potentially resolve the issue. In this blog, we’ll guide you through some practical steps to diagnose and address the problem, ensuring your home stays cool and comfortable.
A large portion of issues with your air conditioning stem from these 2 causes:
- Lack of Maintenance – Routine maintenance is key to keeping your system running efficiently for many years to come. Our AV Maintenance Plan offers affordable twice-yearly maintenance on your system to ensure minor issues are identified and fixed before they lead to much more significant issues.
- Broken HVAC components—While routine maintenance is crucial to increasing the life of your system, you may still encounter broken or malfunctioning parts that require repair or replacement. Many of these issues will go unnoticed until your unit stops working or air stops coming out of your vents.
Here are the 11 reasons why your AC is running but no air is coming out of your vents.
- Check Your Vents
If your AC is running and you do not feel air coming out of your vents, you will first want to check all of them to see if you have an issue with just one or multiple vents.
If you notice a lack of airflow in just one area of your home, ensure that the registers are completely open. Most vents have a switch or toggle to open and close them, so you want to make sure that none of your vents have been inadvertently closed.
You also want to check the vents for any obstructions that could be blocking the airflow. If you notice any, clear the obstructions, and hopefully, your issue will be fixed.
- Thermostat Issues
If you are still experiencing a lack of air coming from your vents, your thermostat is the next likely culprit. Ensure that your thermostat is switched to ‘cool’ and that the temperature is set lower than the current temperature of your home.
If you have a battery-operated thermostat, you will also want to check that your batteries don’t need a change. Low or dead batteries can cause your thermostat to malfunction and not communicate effectively with your system, and ultimately impact your airflow.
While at your thermostat, open the cover to check for dust or debris that may be affecting your connection. You can remove any grime with a soft brush.
If you notice any wires that are damaged or broken, it’s time to call in the professionals at AV Heating & Cooling for a fix to get your AC back up and running – https://avheatingandcooling.com/contact-us/
- AC Blower Issues
If you can hear your AC running but the fan isn’t kicking on, you should try lowering the temperature on your thermostat a few degrees. If your fan is still suspiciously quiet, this can indicate an issue with the AC blower.
The AC blower pushes cold air through the ductwork and into your house. Excessive dust can accumulate on the blower blades and cause the blower motor to malfunction.
To address this issue, turn off your AC and remove the covers on your indoor unit to expose the AC blower. Once open, gently remove any grime from the blower, replace the covers, and turn your AC back on.
If your airflow is still lacking, call us at (816)796-0300, and we’ll send one of my HVAC experts out to properly diagnose and resolve this fan issue for you.
- Check Your Air Filter
On the opposite side, if your AC and fan are both running and you still are not getting airflow through your vents, you will want to check for a dirty air filter. The air filter collects dust and debris and can block airflow through your system if not changed routinely.
If left dirty and unchanged, it will significantly restrict airflow through your system and cause your unit’s coils to freeze.
- Frozen Evaporator Coil
A dirty air filter or a blocked return vent can significantly restrict airflow through your unit and cause the evaporator coil to freeze. When this happens, the air is blocked from passing over the coils and into your duct system to be pushed out through the vents.
The first place that evaporator coils will freeze is within your air handler. If you notice ice forming on the lines or if they’re already frozen over, you will want to turn your thermostat fan to ‘ON’ instead of ‘Auto’ to help thaw the refrigerant lines.
It’s very important not to chip away the ice or try to use a hair dryer to melt it. Doing so can cause further damage to your unit.
If you have changed your air filter and checked your return vents for obstructions and your evaporator coil continues to freeze over, it’s time for a call to AV Heating & Cooling at (816)796-0300.
- Leaking or Blocked Ducts
Ductwork is in place to deliver cold air throughout your home. However, with time and a lack of maintenance, your ductwork can become damaged or clogged, greatly restricting the airflow through the vents in your home.
Have you done any recent work in your attic? This may have caused damage or a section of your ductwork to come apart.
If you notice uneven cooling, dust in the air, or twists in your ductwork, you should contact a professional at The Lee Thompson Co. or try to inspect the ductwork yourself.
You will want to check for cracks or holes within the ductwork and for leaks where the ducts join together. You will want to use foil-faced tape or mastic air duct sealant to seal any leaks or holes in your ductwork.
To check for ductwork blockage, you will want to check the airflow from individual vents to find any that are not blowing air. If you suspect a blocked duct, it’s best to call in the experts of AV to resolve the issue efficiently – https://avheatingandcooling.com/contact-us/
- Over or Undersized Ductwork
Incorrectly sized ductwork can also cause airflow issues throughout your home.
Oversized ductwork will have a hard time maintaining air pressure, resulting in low air pressure throughout your vents.
Undersized ductwork will cause the airflow to be heavily restricted and will not be able to distribute it evenly throughout your home, resulting in low airflow from your vents.
If you suspect an issue with ductwork sizing, call us at (816)796-0300 for a proper inspection.
- Limited Return Air
If your system is not receiving adequate air from your return vents, the air conditioning process will not work efficiently. To efficiently distribute cool air throughout your home, the same amount of air must return to be reconditioned and redistributed through the vents.
You will want to check and ensure that the return vents throughout your vent are not blocked. If these vents are blocked, it can lead to a lack of air being pulled back into your system.
If you are concerned that your home doesn’t have an adequate number of return air vents, call the HVAC experts at AV Heating & Cooling at (816)796-0300 for a thorough inspection.
- The Condenser Unit is Dirty or Damaged
Leaves, dirt, and other debris can easily get stuck in your air conditioner’s outdoor unit. This will cause your unit to have to work harder and can lead to your unit overheating.
Routine maintenance is vital to ensuring that debris don’t accumulate in your outside unit and cause issues. We recommend our AV Maintenance Plan for affordable twice-yearly cleaning and maintenance that will ensure your unit continues to run efficiently for years to come. Visit https://avheatingandcooling.com/av-maintenance/ or give us a call at (816)796-0300 to learn more.
- Low Refrigerant Levels
If your refrigerant levels are low, you may notice low or no air blowing through the vents and reduced cooling throughout your home.
Lack of AC maintenance can lead to corrosion buildup in your air conditioner. This buildup can cause cracks and holes in your AC coil and leakage of your refrigerant.
Call on AV Heating & Cooling at (816)796-0300 to refill your refrigerant to ensure the levels match precisely with the levels specified by your AC’s manufacturer.
- Aging HVAC Unit
A significant decrease in your air conditioner’s airflow can indicate that your unit might be nearing the end of its life. A unit does not work as efficiently towards the end of life and cannot always maintain optimum airflow.
Typical HVAC units last 15-20 years and up to 25-30 years with proper maintenance. However, your HVAC unit will become less efficient as it ages. If your unit is older than this, one of our HVAC professionals can thoroughly inspect it and discuss the best options for your individual needs.
Call us at (816)796-0300 to learn more about our current specials and financing deals to get you into a new unit affordably.
If you have followed these troubleshooting steps and are still having airflow issues from your vents, it may be a sign of a bigger problem. A handful of issues can limit airflow to your vents and require a call to AV at (816)796-0300 to fix them properly.
- Indoor fan motor failure
- Capacitor failure
- Malfunctioning compressor
- Mechanical problems
As you navigate the intricate world of HVAC troubleshooting, remember that AV Heating & Cooling is always here to support you. Whether it’s a simple DIY fix or a more complex issue requiring professional attention, our team is just a phone call away – (816)796-0300.
Don’t let a lack of airflow leave you feeling hot under the collar – trust in our decades of expertise to keep your home cool and comfortable year-round.
Stay tuned for more valuable insights, tips, and tricks from the trusted leaders in Independence’s HVAC industry. Until next time, stay cool!
