When you're in the middle of summer, you expect your air conditioner to keep you and your family cool. Unfortunately, your air conditioner may have a mind of its own, which means it might decide to hold back on the cold air. Luckily, decreased cold air doesn't necessarily mean that your air conditioner is broken. It might be something minor that can be taken care of quickly. Before you call the air conditioner repair company, take a few minutes to see if you can identify the problem. Here are three problems that could be causing your air flow problems.

Dirty Filter

Before the temperatures start to rise, you should change your air filter. A dirty filter will prevent air from flowing through the air ducts. When choosing an air filter, it's important that you look at the MERV rating – minimum efficiency reporting value. This rating will tell you a filter's ability to remove particulate matter from the air. The higher the rating, the more particulate matter will be removed. Each time you replace the filter, you should also vacuum out the filter housing compartment. This will ensure that the filter doesn't get clogged with dirt that was left behind from the last filter.

Clogged Ducts

Take a look at the area around your vent covers. If you see dirt on the walls, you'll need to clean the ducts. Clean ducts allow more air to flow through to your home. Cleaning your ducts will also remove things like rodent and insect droppings that can cause breathing problems. This is important, especially if you or someone in your family suffers from allergies, asthma, or other breathing problems.To clean your ducts, simply remove the vent covers and use a small whisk broom to loosen any dirt that's stuck to the sides of the ducts. Attach the hose adapter to your vacuum and insert the hose into your ducts to remove the dirt that you broke loose with the whisk broom. Repeat this process on each duct in your home.

Poor Attic Insulation

Poor attic insulation can make your air conditioner work less efficiently on hot summer days. Heat from the sun is absorbed into the attic, where it heats up the space above the living space in your home. Without proper insulation, the heat then radiates through the ceiling and elevates the temperature inside your home. The excess heat makes it difficult for your air conditioner to work properly. You can eliminate the problem by installing additional insulation in your attic. Loose fill insulation works best in attics because it can be used to fill small cracks and crevices that batt insulation can't reach.

If your air conditioner isn't working as well as it used to, you might not need to call the repair technician. Try to identify the problem using the troubleshooting guide provided above. If you're unable to identify the problem, be sure to contact a local air conditioner repair technician like those found at Mechanical Systems Inc. as soon as possible.