Month: November 2021

Short cycling is a term used in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) world to explain a situation where a furnace or air conditioner turns on and off too frequently. The “short cycle” is the period of time that your HVAC equipment is actually running, and the shorter this cycle, the harder your system needs to work.

Our team at ACS Air Conditioning Services wants you to understand the concept of short cycling, why it can be harmful and costly, what causes the problem, and what you can do about it.

Root Causes of Short Cycling

If you notice your HVAC system is kicking on and off more than normal, you may be facing a short-cycling issue in your Marana home. Before short cycling causes expensive damage, you’ll want to get to the root cause of the problem. Here are some common causes of short cycling:

• Incorrect unit size. If you have a furnace or air conditioner that is too large for your Arizona home, it will short cycle. Essentially, an oversized furnace or air conditioner repeats the cycle of heating or cooling an area quickly and then shutting down immediately over and over again. According to ENERGY STAR®, ensuring you have the correct-sized air conditioning system can minimize this problem as well as reduce your energy bills.
• Repair issue. If you recently had a bad storm that resulted in a power outage, this could cause short cycling. In addition, breaker problems, condensate switch issues, a corroded flame sensor, or objects stuck in your vents could also be a root cause. Contact our professional team to inspect your system to help you identify the cause.
• Maintenance issues. Homeowners who fail to regularly maintain their HVAC systems may cause short-cycling issues to arise. For example, a dirty air filter can restrict airflow, which may lead to short cycles. Regular cleaning and inspections can go a long way to prevent short cycling.
• Thermostat problems. If you’ve recently installed a new thermostat, be sure it’s in a location where you can get an accurate temperature reading. For instance, thermostats that are in direct sunlight or near heat-generating appliances or vents may misread your home’s actual temperature and signal your HVAC system to turn on and off incorrectly. A broken thermostat could also be the root cause of the problem.

Before You Notice

Today’s technology does have some built-in protection against HVAC short cycling. Similar to an overload trigger on an electrical motor, shut-off controls will often prevent catastrophic HVAC equipment failure. For instance, if temperatures or pressures exceed maximum preset ranges, these safety devices will kick in and shut down your HVAC system for a certain amount of time.

Whether you notice short cycling or your HVAC system shuts down due to this issue, it’s important to resolve the root causes for the long-term health of your heating and cooling system. Living with a system that short cycles can lead to poor temperature-, ventilation-, and humidity-management; a strain on electrical and lubrication systems; and energy wastage.

What You Can Do

The most important thing you can do to prevent short cycling is to regularly maintain your HVAC system with biannual inspections and cleanings. During this process, a trained technician can spot potential problems and correct them before you experience short-cycling problems.

You can also invest in technologies such as variable capacity furnaces and air conditioners, which will adjust the output of your equipment instead of simply shutting down. Look into dead-band settings on your thermostats as well. These allow you to specify an acceptable temperature band so your HVAC equipment cycles less frequently.

Contact Us for All Your Heating and Cooling Needs

For more details about short cycling, its causes, and how to prevent it, call our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services in Marana, AZ. Our trained, experienced team can help you address short-cycling issues with repairs, maintenance, and new equipment suggestions. Call us at 520-230-5668 or request service online.

Once the cooler weather hits here in Tucson this fall, you are going to want the inside of your home toasty and comfortable. This means turning on your furnace. Long before the first night you’ll want to use it, you should have your furnace cleaned and checked by a professional from ACS Air Conditioning Services.

You may think this maintenance is unimportant and you can save money by forgoing it, but you would be mistaken. Here are five reasons you should call to schedule your appointment today.

1. It prevents unexpected and costly breakdowns.

When you schedule your furnace clean and check regularly on an annual basis, you are preventing breakdowns. By having one of our seasoned experts inspect and clean your system, he or she can spot any impending repairs or weaknesses. This alerts you so you can take care of the issue in a timely manner, circumventing middle-of-the-night emergencies when emergency services will cost you more.

2. It saves on monthly energy bills.

By having your furnace cleaned regularly, which includes replacing or cleaning your filter, your furnace can work more efficiently, saving you energy. Once it gets dirty, airflow becomes diminished and blocked. This causes your furnace to work harder, using more energy to do the same amount of work it normally does under easier conditions.

3. It keeps you and your family safe.

When your furnace is not inspected and cleaned before you use it every fall, you run the risk of missing a possible unsafe issue or repair. Sometimes something as dangerous as a cracked heat exchanger can occur.

According to the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), this can leak toxic carbon monoxide into your Arizona home’s air, and you may not be aware of it at the beginning stages of the problem. By then, dangerous levels of the poisonous gas could already be in your home. One of our professional and highly trained technicians can spot and address safety issues prior to them becoming unsafe.

4. It extends your furnace’s life span.

Your furnace is meant to run smoothly and efficiently, with an expected life span of 15 to 20 years (for gas furnaces). When you neglect its annual clean and check, the dirt and dust accumulated inside builds up and causes problems.

This in turn forces your system to work harder, wearing down its parts sooner. Keeping things running smoothly helps your furnace live a long and healthy life.

5. It keeps the warranty valid.

Your furnace most likely came with a manufacturer’s warranty. Many of these warranties specify that regular maintenance needs to be performed to keep the system in tip-top shape and to prevent unneeded repairs. By not scheduling these maintenance appointments, your chance of incurring repairs increases and may void your warranty.

Schedule Your Furnace Clean and Check Today

To ensure the best results for both your furnace and your pocketbook, be sure to schedule your annual furnace clean-and-check appointment before the cold weather hits here in Tucson, AZ. You want your furnace to start right up without issue. Call one of our ACS Air Conditioning Services team members at 520-230-5668 or request service online to make your appointment today.