[SOLVED] Why Does my Air Conditioner Turn Off By Itself

So, you are frustrated as hell because you were all set to catch some best moments with your family in a cool room, but what? Your conditioner turned off itself?

I can feel you…

Well, the solution is simple:

This problem is known as “short cycling’’

In the short cycling, after turning on the air conditioner, it turns off by itself, after a short period (less than 15 min).

Before we dive into the solutions, let’s try to know why short cycling is bad.

Why is Short Cycling Bad?

Want to know why short cycling bad? Let’s get to it.

• Because a huge amount of power is required to turn on your air conditioner over and over again, which ultimately drives up your energy bills.
• You may not be achieving a comfortable temperature.
• This off/on cycle cause wear and tear on the mechanisms of your AC, thus ultimately shorting the life span of your AC.
• Short cycling should be fixed as soon as possible; otherwise, it may lead to expensive damage and an early replacement of your AC.

Now, we have a clear cut idea about why short cycling is bad. But we still don’t know the reasons behind short cycling. Let’s move forward to understand why your air conditioner turns off by itself.

Reasons Behind Why the Air Conditioner Turns Off by Itself

If your AC turned off by itself, it might have one of the following reasons:

Faulty Thermostat

Sometimes the malfunction of the thermostat may lead to short cycling. The malfunctioning of a thermostat is due to damaged wiring of the thermostat or some other electrical problems.

Lack of enough airflow through AC

Sometimes the blockage of airflow may overheat your AC components, which ultimately leads to turning off your AC.

The blockage of air is due to a Dirty air filter. If the air filter of your AC is covered with dirt, it blocks the airflow.

Blockage of the condensate line

Your AC absorbs moisture from your home’s air and drains out via a pipe.

Sometimes condensate pipe is blocked by some dirt that may lead to condensation backs into the drain pan. If the level of water reaches up to a certain level, it switches off your AC.

Oversized air conditioner

An oversized AC cools your home rapidly and turned off by itself. Too fast cooling is bad because it drives up energy bills, increased humidity, and more hot and cool spots in your home.

Installation of a thermostat in a bad location

If the location of the thermostat is near a window or under the AC vent, then the thermostat fails to detect the exact temperature of your home. In this case, call an expert to relocate the thermostat.

Lack of maintenance

Your AC requires regular maintenance at least once a year, or in some areas(such as in the desert)twice a year.

So now, you have understood why the air conditioner turns off by itself. Let’s get straight to the quick and easy solution to fix the problem.

Why Does My Air Conditioner Turn Off by Itself [6 Savvy Solutions]

Before we talk about other technical solutions, let’s see how can you fix this problem by yourself at home without any assistance.

Yes, you’re dead right:

Let’s dive into some easy and quick solutions

Solution 1: Change your AC settings

Don’t worry, when your AC is turned off by itself or you notice short cycling. It might be happened just because of your AC settings. Even you never change your AC settings. Don’t be panic because we are going to tell you how can you fix this problem.

• Check the thermostat settings.

 

• Reset the setting to lower the temperature.
• And see if the AC last longer.

Hope your problem is fixed now. If not, let’s jump to the next solution.

Solution 2: Thermostat location

Some time AC technicians installed the thermostat at a bad location. It sounds a little weird but this might happen. I also wonder; how a thermostat can be installed at a bad location. If this is the case with you;

You just need to move the thermostat to another place. Place the thermostat in the middle of the room or some other place where you can detect the cooling of your AC.

Note: Do not place the thermostat under the vent or near the window

Solution 3: Thermostat timer settings

If the major issue with your AC is “short cycling”. Don’t think that your AC is expired. There are many other reasons for short cycling. One of these reasons is that your AC thermostat may have timer settings. If your AC has timer settings for the thermostat, you can reset it in just 5 seconds.

• Check the menu on the thermostat
• See if there is a timer setting

 

• If you find a timer setting, you can change it

 

If your problem is not fixed until now. Then the next solution may be for you. Let’s move to the next solution.

Solution 4: Ensure proper airflow

Clean air is necessary for every HVAC system. Sometimes the blockage of airflow may overheat your AC components, which ultimately leads to turning off your AC. It not only turn off your computer but also causes wear and tear to your AC. This wear and tear may shorten the life span of your AC. There are many reasons for air blockage but the main reason is the dirty air filter. Let see how can you ensure proper airflow through your HAVC system.

• Have a look at the air filter

• If it is dirty, replace the dirty air filter with new ones.

Solution 5: Clear and unblock the condensate pipe

As your AC absorbs moisture from your home’s air and drains out via a pipe. Sometimes dirt may clog the condensate pipe. Blockage of the condensate pipe may lead to short-cycling.

• Notice whether the condensate pipe draining the water out of your home or not
• If water is not draining out of your home
• Remove the cap from the T-shaped part of the condensate line

• Now pour the vinegar into the line
• After 30min wash the line with water

Hope your problem is fixed now.

Solution 6: The appropriate size of AC

If you feel your home cools quickly. Maybe your AC is oversized.

How can I find out the exact size of my AC?

• Contact an HVAC expert to calculate the cooling load of your home.

Note: Only a HAVC expert can estimate the appropriate size of your AC  for your home.

We hope this article helped you in this regard.

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