“Short-cycling? What’s that?” We know it sounds like a strange circus act or a short-distance bicycling competition. But it’s a term for faulty behavior from a cooling system. If you hear your home’s AC starting and stopping multiple times over an hour, that’s short-cycling. This isn’t something you want to happen, since it spells trouble for your air conditioning in Burlington, VT. In most cases, you’ll need to call up HVAC technicians to find out why the AC is short-cycling and what to do about it.
Why is short-cycling a problem?
First, we must explain in greater detail what short-cycling means. When the thermostat of a house makes a request for cooling, the air conditioner starts up its fans and the compressor motor. The compressor is the component that allows for heat exchange and cooling of the air. The compressor remains running until the thermostat registers it has reached the target temperature, and then the compressor cycles down. In mild weather, the AC cycle lasts approximately 10 to 15 minutes and completes 2 to 3 times per hour.
