In a perfect situation, an air conditioner should run for 15-20 minutes at a time in mild temperatures. Should you? But hold on! Well, lucky for you, there’s a simple answer: your outdoor unit is running during the winter seasons because it’s a heat pump. Some common problems which can cause your heat pump to run all the time and not meet temperature needs are: A Refrigerant leak can cause your system to blow cold air, noises in the refrigerant lines, icing appearing on the outdoor unit, higher than normal energy bills. In winter, the air being circulated may feel colder when the furnace isn’t running. Check the thermostat to ensure the fan is set to off or auto, not on. Setting Your HVAC Fan to “ON” When you set your fan to “ON,” you’re telling it to keep running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of the heating or cooling setting. You see, on extremely hot days—we’re talkin’ high 90s to 100s—your system needs to keep up with the incoming heat. If your system seems to be running all of the time, this may or may not be problematic to its functionality. Below is a list of possible causes. Here are the pros and cons: Plus, learn these 21 air conditioner maintenance and home cooling tips. Your system requires a certain amount of airflow to cool your home. Then, turn the thermostat to a temperature that’s lower than the current room temperature and wait 3 to 4 minutes. You need a professional to check your system's refrigerant level. It’s summertime, and you’ve noticed your AC never stops running. It will constantly run but the system is simply too small to meet your home’s cooling demands. You don’t want to rely on manually switching between heat pump and backup heat at your thermostat, as this leads to accidentally leaving backup heat on which is much more expensive in milder temperatures. In winter, the air being circulated may feel colder when the furnace isn’t running. If your fan is set to ON, it will run continuously, regardless of whether your furnace is heating or not. Once it reaches the set point at some point it should start to cycle on and off. To do that, it will run longer in order to maintain a constant, desired temperature in your home. Some people are big fans of running an HVAC fan continuously, especially to reduce indoor allergens. If your furnace goes off on high limit or if one of the rollout switches are open then the furnace fan will run all the time because the furnace control board is telling the furnace that the furnace has over-heated and the fan runs to cool the furnace down. If you suspect this is your problem you’ll want to fix it fast to prevent costly repairs with your compressor due to frozen coils and constant wear and tear from your system working too hard. An undersized AC is like “The Little Engine That Could” but can't. Like all appliances, your heat pump may sometimes have trouble working correctly. In addition, your AC technician can give you tips for how long you should run your system and what length of time you can expect before your home is cool. The circulate feature on some thermostats will automatically run the fan for around 20 minutes out of every hour. In summer, the continuous running may mean circulation of air that is warmer than the ambient air, causing the A/C to kick on more often. First, try this: Make sure your thermostat fan setting is on AUTO not ON. In the “Auto” position, the fan should cycle on only when there is a call for cooling. If your inside unit’s evaporator coil is dirty it makes it tough for refrigerant (or “Freon”) to absorb heat from your air. So, your air conditioner should run for about fifteen minutes at a time on mild days and almost constantly on the hottest days, all while keeping your home nice and cool. Email us or call 480-359-7141 now! In the “On” position, the fan will run continuously. 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