The term “short cycle” is a bit of a misnomer. When an AC is short cycling, it’s not completing a cooling cycle at all. Your system will attempt to complete a cycle but will shut itself off before the cycle can be completed. The amount of time the air conditioner turns on and off is short, hence the “short” part of short cycling.
Despite its brevity, an air conditioner that’s short cycling is difficult to ignore. The sound of the system turning on and off, on and off, is unmistakable and rather annoying. Worst of all, your air conditioner is unable to adequately cool your home down and that’s not something that’s easy to miss.
In addition to the decrease in your comfort, short cycling is bad for other reasons. Not only is it a problem, but it can also be a symptom of bigger problems. When left unchecked, short cycling can cause damage to your system. In many cases, it will require professional repairs from a trained and experienced HVAC technician. Let’s look at why short cycling is bad and why you should have it looked at ASAP.
