What Is Short Cycling And Why Is It A Problem?

July 01, 2017

With regular HVAC maintenance, your air conditioners can operate for a long time. Unfortunately, sooner or later, the components encounter problems. You probably have heard the term ‘short cycling’ on air conditioning units. What is short cycling? What are its causes and effects? We provide the answers below.

What is short cycling?

Air conditioning short cycling happens when your unit turns on and off frequently throughout the day. As a result, your home would hardly stay cool and comfortable causing a negative impact to your energy bills. Also, frequent and rapid on-and-off cycling of your AC can lead to early breakdowns.

Possible Causes

There are different causes of short cycling, and it takes a certified technician to diagnose and resolve the problem. Most of the time, the culprit is a leaking refrigerant, which builds up frost on the evaporator coils and may lead to short cycling. Other culprits include damaged compressor parts or defects in the thermostat. Another reason is an oversized unit, so be sure to get a skilled technician to properly size it before installation.

Negative Effects

The biggest negative effect of short cycling is that it puts your air conditioner under an extreme amount of stress. Frequent on-and-off cycle can cause the different components of your unit to break down as early as they normally would. As a result, it reduces the longevity of your air conditioner. To keep your unit in good shape, call your local technician once you notice that shirt cycling is happening.

To resolve your AC short cycling problems, call our HVAC experts at Airview AC.