Your Central AC Isn’t Blowing Hard – Here’s How To Improve Airflow

It’s hot outside. You can’t bear the scorching heat of the sun. After a long day at work, you rush home so you can savor the comfort and relief that comes with the cool air your AC unit brings. You can hardly wait to curl up in bed or on the couch and watch something good on TV.

But what if your central AC unit isn’t working like it’s supposed to? What if your AC isn’t blowing hard? There’s no point in having an AC unit that doesn’t serve its purpose.

So the question is, what’s the problem? Perhaps there’s something wrong with the airflow of your AC unit. Chances are the air flow coming from the vent is weak. This could be due to fabric, furniture, or plants blocking the return vent. There could also be problems with the dampers, evaporator coils, flex ducts, or wire tubes. To improve the airflow of your AC unit, you need to check the following:

Air Filters

Your dirty air filters may be the main culprit, especially if you don’t clean them. Chances are the dirt and dust built up in the filter of your AC unit, restricting the system’s airflow. But here’s another problem: all that dirt will make your house even dirtier, and you may experience respiratory problems as a result. Bottom line, cleaning your air filters regularly will prevent airflow problems.

AC Blower

Here’s the thing: your AC blower might be at fault. If you didn’t know, the AC blower is located in the air handler and it’s responsible for pushing cold air through the ducts. The blower’s motor may be broken, or the blades are covered with an excessive amount of dust. What do you need to do? Find the blower motor, check for excessive dirt and clean it with a rag. If that doesn’t d the airflow, the AC blower might be broken, which means you need to contact a professional.

Evaporator Coil

Next, you should check your evaporator coil. As you may know, the evaporator coil is responsible for creating cool air. Because of its function, chances are this piece will get too cold, and moisture in the home will cause ice to form in your evaporator coil. A frozen evaporator will cause issues with the airflow. How can you fix this? Turn off your AC and allow the ice to melt, then turn your AC back on. Check the airflow, and look for any signs of freezing. If there is still ice in your evaporator coil, call a professional.

Flex Ducts

The next components of your AC that you need to check are the flex ducts. They connect the heating and cooling system ductwork to the air distribution mechanism. If the air is restricted to one vent, chances are the flex ducts might have been crushed. Crushed flex ducts may greatly affect the airflow in your AC unit. You have no other choice but to get an AC professional to fix them.

Damper

Finally, you may blame the damper for the restricted airflow. The damper is a valve in your duct system that can restrict airflow to a specific room. It’s possible that it might have been closed accidentally. If you have electronic dampers at home, there should be a control panel near your indoor unit. If the dampers are closed, you can simply open them to see if that will the problem. Otherwise, you will need to contact a professional to improve the airflow.