Today, all new cars have air conditioning, and that’s a wonderful thing. A/C makes driving in your car far more comfortable, especially on those hot, unforgiving summer days. Most of us have become so used to it, that sitting in traffic on a hot day without air conditioning is unthinkable and probably unbearable. There’s nothing worse than going to turn on your A/C, expecting a cool, refreshing breeze, but feel nothing but warm, stale air blowing out. There are several possible reasons why your car air conditioner is pumping out warm air, and all of them require specific equipment and knowledge of A/C systems. Our technicians at HEART Certified Auto Care can quickly determine what the problem is and take care of it fast.
Reasons Why Your Car A/C Is Blowing Hot Air
Problems with your condenser – A common reason why air conditioners blow hot air is that you have a bad or broken condenser. The primary function of the condenser in an air conditioning system is to remove heat from the liquid refrigerant coming from the compressor. This process allows the liquid to cool down before it converts into gas as it moves through the rest of the system. Like all components, compressors can wear out over time and lead to hot air blowing from your vents. Faulty compressor – The compressor is what moves the refrigerant through the air conditioning system’s tubes, hoses, and interconnected devices. If the compressor fails, then the refrigerant can’t move, which means it can’t cool the air, and you will have hot air coming from your vents. Refrigerant leak – One of the most common causes of your A/C system producing hot air is low levels of refrigerant. If there isn’t enough refrigerant circulating, then it will not be able to get rid of the excess heat. As a result, you’ll feel this heat blowing into the passenger compartment instead of cold, fresh air. Because air conditioners are closed systems, refrigerant should never need top offs and the levels should remain the same. If the levels are low, that means you have a leak that needs to be taken care of by a trained technician. Electrical problems – Your vehicle’s air conditioning system requires electricity to operate. It is essentially a maze of wires complete with fuses, relays, and pressure switches that work in unison to provide safe operation under normal operating conditions. If one of these electrical parts fails due to age or damage, the A/C system will shut down to prevent damage to itself or unsafe conditions for the driver.
Have Your A/C System Repaired at HEART
Although the reasons we listed are the most common causes of air conditioners blowing hot air, it is not exhaustive. If you feel warm or hot air coming from your vents, then bring your car in to HEART Evanston, HEART Wilmette, or HEART Northbrook. We complete 98% of service same day, take pictures throughout the process, so you see what we see, and provide complimentary loaner cars and shuttle rides. We’ll have your car feeling cool and comfortable in no time!
