Are You Having Problems with Your Air Conditioning Vents?

There could be a number of factors with simple solutions to get your air conditioning vents working to full potential. Below are the most common questions about vents that could be disrupting your system.

Why isn’t cool air coming out of my ducted air conditioning vents?

• The air flow is not set at 100%. With particular ducted air conditioning systems, it is possible to adjust how much air is flowing out of a certain vent using the zone controls.
  Solution: Ensure the air flow on your zone controls is fully operational and set at 100%.

• The air conditioning systems may need to be recharged with refrigerant, coolant or gas. This will affect how cool and how much air is blowing out of your vents.
  Solution: Call an air conditioning service technician to refuel all elements for your system. Your air flow should improve dramatically after this takes place.

• All zones (rooms) in the house are all being used at the same time and your system might not have sufficient energy to power every room at once.
  Solution: Turn off any zones that aren’t being used so more air flow can get to the most important rooms/vents.

• An object might be placed in front of the vent stopping it from releasing air at its full potential. This could be the case for linear vents that are installed closer to the floor. Solution: Ensure nothing is obstructing the air con vents such as a desk, a chair or even temporary objects like festive Christmas trees, especially in the summer months when we need air conditioning the most.  

Why is there no air coming out of my air conditioning vents?

• If there is no air coming from your vent/s but the system is running, this usually means something has blocked the duct so no air can get through to the vent.
  Solution: Call an air conditioning service technician to unblock the duct and to make sure all systems are working correctly. We highly recommend a professional do this as DIY repairs can end in disaster. 

Why is dust coming out of my air conditioning vents?

• Your air filter is not catching the dust. Perhaps because of poor quality air filters or if your filters have not been cleaned for a time.
  Solution: You can get your return air filter cleaned by a professional or DIY following these instructions. If you have a poor quality air filter, consider replacing your inferior filter with a thick, pleated one specifically rated for you air conditioning unit. You could also try to minimise the dust in your home by vacuuming more frequently as most dust is formed from human skin or pet hair.

• Your air ducts may be leaking which can happen from general wear and tear. A typical home loses about 20% of the air flow if there are any leaks. These leaks allow the surrounding dirty, dusty air to get sucked into the ducted system and be pushed throughout your home. That may be why you see the dust blowing out of the vents.
  Solution: Call a service technician to fix the leaks, holes, and other gaps in the ventilation ducts. Doing this should improve the air quality and stop dust blowing out of your air conditioning vent.

Why are my air conditioning vents falling out of the ceiling?

• The clips that hold the vent in place can become brittle or corroded overtime and have snapped. This means the vent can become loose from the ceiling. We use toughened plastic vents to prevent this from happening. It is quite uncommon but it has been known to happen before. Any vents that we have replaced have either been another company’s install or vents that are more than 10 years old.
  Solution: Call the company that installed your air conditioning system. Depending on the age of the system and what the manufacturer offers, the vents should be under warranty. If the system is no longer under warranty a service technician can come out to replace the air con vents and clips that hold it in place.

We trust this article has helped you with any dramas you are experiencing or have had with your air conditioning vents. Please call us on 07 3395 7633 for any help with your vents or air conditioning system. We are happy to help with any questions or to book you in for professional air con unit service. We can check for leaks, clean your return air filter or give your unit a general service. Or simply leave your details through the link below and we can call you back.