What Short Cycling Is
A normal heating or cooling cycle lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Short cycling means the system turns on, runs for a few minutes, shuts off, and turns right back on. This is terrible for your system. Starting up draws the most electricity. Short cycling will make your Duke Energy bill skyrocket and it will wear out your compressor fast.
Dirty Filters and Sensors
The most common cause is a dirty air filter. When the filter is choked, airflow drops. In the summer, the AC coil freezes. In the winter, the furnace overheats. Both situations trigger the system safety switches to shut the unit down. It cools off, turns back on, and overheats again. That is a short cycle. Go change your filter. On a furnace, a dirty flame sensor does the same thing. It fails to read the flame, shuts the gas off, and tries again a minute later.
Thermostat Placement
Your thermostat reads the temperature of the air immediately around it. If it is located right above a supply vent, the cold air hits it directly. It thinks the whole house is cool and shuts the AC off. Ten minutes later, the room warms up, and it turns back on. Drafty windows and direct sunlight cause the same issue.
Oversized Equipment
Bigger is not better in HVAC. We see this in a lot of 1980s and 2000s builds around Milford and Amelia. Builders slapped in oversized, contractor-grade units. An oversized AC cools the house down in five minutes and shuts off. It cools too fast to remove the humidity from the air. You end up with a house that feels cold and clammy.
Getting It Fixed
Start with a clean filter. If that doesn't work, give us a call. For an $89 diagnostic fee, we will test the safety switches, the sensors, and the thermostat. Our Repairs First policy means we solve the underlying mechanical problem to protect your equipment. We want you to see long-term savings on your energy bills, not pay for unnecessary system replacements.