A central air conditioner can develop a number of problems since there are so many parts involved in cooling your house. It can be difficult to know when something is wrong or what the problem is.

However, if it seems like you have a hard time keeping your house cool and comfortable, that could be a sign you need to call an air-conditioning repair service rather than run up your power bill by lowering the setting on the thermostat. Here are some things that might be wrong if your AC isn't cooling very well.

1. A Problem With Airflow

Your home may not be cool because there isn't enough cool air coming out of your registers. This might be due to a problem with the blower fan or the problem might be due to restricted airflow in the system. The AC repair person can check the filter, vents, and condenser fins to make sure air isn't blocked anywhere.

A problem with the blower could be caused by a burned-out motor or a dirty blower cage. The air-conditioning repair service can take the blower apart and clean it if necessary, and they can also replace any of the parts, such as the capacitor, motor bearings, or wiring that's causing the motor to malfunction. The malfunction might even be with the control board or safety switch that operates the fan.

2. A Problem With Leaking

If air is leaking out of your ducts, then cool air is lost in your attic, and your home will not get as cool as you like. If you can't check and repair the leaks yourself, call an air-conditioning repair service. If a leak isn't obvious, they can use a smoke pen or other device to find where the air is leaking out and then seal the leak.

3. A Problem With Refrigerant

If air is blowing out of your AC at the usual optimal speed, but the air just isn't as chilly as it once was, the problem might be with the refrigerant. The refrigerant might be low due to a leak. However, other problems can interfere with how well the refrigerant works, so the repair technician has to troubleshoot the situation.

A dirty condenser or evaporator coils keep the refrigerant from cooling down your house, so if the coils are dirty, they need to be cleaned off. A bad condenser fan can also cause trouble with the refrigerant. The fan blows heat off of the coils the refrigerant flows through. If the fan isn't working, heat builds up and the refrigerant can't work as well.

The AC repair person can check the pressure of the refrigerant in the lines to find out if the refrigerant is leaking. If it is, the leak has to be found and plugged so that new refrigerant can be added. With new refrigerant in the lines, your home should cool down nicely.