One of the most common reasons customers call our HVAC technicians for air conditioning repair in Chicago, IL is when they have an AC that’s turning on and off almost constantly over a short time. This is known as short-cycling, and there are many different potential causes:
- A clogged air filter
- Undercharge of refrigerant due to leaks
- Leaks in the ventilation system
- AC is too powerful for the space
- Dirty or iced-up refrigerant coils
Short-cycling is both a symptom of a problem and a problem on its own since it significantly increases the workload on the air conditioner. Parts wear down faster, cooling bills rise, and the system will end up needing an early replacement.
But how long should an air conditioner’s cooling cycle last? Understanding this is important so you can know when you’ve got an AC that’s short-cycling.
A few weeks ago, we looked at a common problem homes have with central air conditioning: 
The peak heat of the summer season means some pretty tough days when you’re outside. When you’re in your house with your dependable air conditioning system, it’s much different. The AC sends around cool air to the rooms and maintains a pleasantly cool and comfortable environment.
You can have a working air conditioning system sending out cooled air to your house, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have a house that’s cooled evenly throughout. You can expect rooms with more sunlight exposure to feel warmer, for example. However, a well-installed and designed HVAC system should be able to give you a distribution of conditioned air around the house that will maintain comfort levels, no matter how hot it gets outside
You’ve probably experienced a car that has trouble getting started on a chilly winter day. The engine grinds, but it takes a few times before it turns over. This is an example of “hard starting.” It can happen to any type of machinery that uses motors, no matter if it’s powered by natural gas, petroleum, or electricity.
Do you live in a house that uses a boiler for heat and doesn’t have any ductwork to allow for a central air conditioning system? If so, you probably have window AC units around the house to help cool down during the summers.
If you’ve lived in Chicago for even a year, you know the summers can be tough to beat unless you have a solid AC system in your home.
If you enjoy “do-it-yourself” projects around the home, there are probably a few big jobs you’re itching to see if you can handle on your own. What about installing a new central air conditioning system? That sounds like it might be a genuine adventure, and you’ll end up saving money on labor costs when you make the project your own.
What does your air conditioning system need right now? If the weather is still cool, you might think the answer is “nothing.” But just because an AC isn’t currently running doesn’t mean it’s doing fine and won’t need any 
It’s not polite to ask people their age—unless they’re children, in which case they’ll probably tell you their exact age to half a year without you having to bring it up.