With summer in full swing, you likely rely on your AC unit to keep you cool and comfortable all day and night. And, when something goes wrong, a broken HVAC system can leave you uncomfortable and miserable for hours or even days. Rather than leaving it up to chance, learn about some of the common causes of these issues in the list below.

Top 3 Common Causes of Broken AC Units & HVAC Systems

1. Low Refrigerant

The refrigerant is responsible for removing heat and humidity from the air of your home or office. Because this liquid is kept in a closed circuit, it should not decrease in volume unless a leak develops. When this occurs, your vents will likely blow hot or warm air, as it won’t effectively bring down the temperature. To fix the issue, an HVAC contractor will need to find the source of the leaks and repair them.

2. Thermostat Issues

The thermostat settings control how warm or cold you want the air in your home to feel. However, if this device breaks or is not calibrated correctly, it won’t send the proper instructions to your air conditioner. Even if you have the temperature set low, your ac unit may low warmer air than you want. When this happens, you may need to have the device recalibrated or even replaced.

3. Frozen Evaporator Coils

The refrigerant typically accumulated in the evaporator coils, where it absorbs heat from the air. To work properly, however, those coils must have warm air circulating around them. If the airflow is obstructed, the coils may become too cold and this can cause them to freeze. As a result, the coils and refrigerant will not be able to cool the air, and you’ll have warm air coming from the vents.