MyAir Conditioner Won’t
Cool Below 75 Degrees! (6 Reasons!)
Well, certain problems can prevent an air conditioner from properly cooling down your home including: A dirty air filter. A blocked condenser. A refrigerant leak.
Depending on location and preference, the ideal air conditioners room temperature is about 68 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit (OF). Sometimes, however, the air conditioner won’t cool below 75, and you’ve to ask why.
Your air conditioner won’t go below 75 OF because of the wrong sizing, higher outdoor temperature (above 95 OF), a dirty air filter, a tripped breaker, leaky ductwork, a blocked outdoor unit, faulty thermostat wiring, exhausted thermostat batteries, or refrigerator leakage.
It could also be due to a clogged condensate line, iced-up evaporator coils, a defective compressor, or an older AC.
Indeed, something must be wrong when your air conditioner won’t cool enough, significantly when it doesn’t drop below 75 degrees.
I’ll explain all those issues and their fixes to enable you to get your AC back cooling seamlessly. If you want to know about air conditioner won't cool below 75, then you are at the right place.
Why Your Air Conditioner Won’t Cool Below 75 Degrees
Your air conditioner won’t go below 75 degrees for different reasons. The most common ones are shared below:
1. New Air Conditioner won’t cool below 75 because it’s the Wrong Size
If your air conditioner is newly-installed or newly bought but cannot cool below 75 degrees, it’s likely the wrong size, mainly undersized. Such an AC won’t allow
you to lower the thermostat temperature past a specific limit, in this case, below 75 degrees.
Fix
Matching your room size with the correct air conditioner capacity (or BTU rating) is essential. If the unit is undersized, it won’t cool your room, and if it’s oversized, it won’t be able to remove all the humidity, thus risking mold growth.
Below is an air conditioner sizing guide you can use on most window-mounted and portable home air conditioners:
2. Extremely Higher Outdoor Temperature
While your air conditioner may cool just fine when the outdoor temperature is below 92 degrees, it won’t do it properly if it is above 75. Essentially, the air conditioner cools by 20 degrees below the outdoor temperature.
So, if the outdoor temperature is 95 degrees, the AC will drop by 20 to 75 degrees, but if it’s 96 or higher, the cooling temperature will be above 75 degrees. Fix
While there’s little to do since you don’t have power over the outdoor temperature, you can try lowering its effect indoors by shutting the windows and door. Additionally, you can use fans to supplement the AC.
3. Dirty Air Filter
Dirty air filters prevent the air conditioner from cooling correctly and may even cause it to turn off itself. That means the filter could be why your AC’s temperature won’t drop below 75 degrees.
When the air filter is dirt clogged, it reduces the amount of cold air flow and thus reduces cooling.
Fix
Change the air filter if it’s dirty. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the AC filter after 1 – 2 months, depending on usage.
4. Tripping Breaker
Sometimes it’s harder for the air conditioner to cool well when the circuit breaker keeps tripping. The circuit breaker may trip off if it’s loose or faulty. So, you may have to examine the unit’s circuit breaker to see if it’s off.
Fix
Examine the circuit breaker to reset it if it’s tripped. However, if it continues tripping, contact a local electrician.
5. The Air Conditioner Will Not Cool Below 75 Due to Leaky Ductwork
If the ductwork leaks cold air, it may be hard for the air conditioner to run at a very low temperature. For that reason, it’s imperative to seal any air leakage sources to keep the AC’s temperature within a specific limit.
Fix
Inspect the ductwork for any leaky spots and seal them. If you cannot do it, talk to an HVAC expert.
6. Blocked Outdoor Unit
The outdoor unit, especially the condenser, should have proper airflow. Nothing should block it from good airflow, including debris, branches, furniture, and shrubs.
You’ve to look at all these things to ensure that none of them are blocking the condenser from adequate airflow and remove it.
Fix
Cut loose branches and shabby shrubs from blocking the condenser unit and clear any dirt or debris heaps around it. Remove anything else, including outdoor furniture that could obstruct the AC.
