With the weather outside finally starting to heat up, you may have decided to turn on your air conditioner for this first time this year. Unfortunately, your hopes for a cool home may have been thwarted by warm air. This is a problem you definitely want to get to the bottom of, which could be due to one of these three problems.

1. Refrigerant Leaks

A common issue with central air conditioning is refrigerant leaks. Refrigerant is a key component of an air conditioner since it turns from a liquid to a gas to pass through the condenser coil and remove the heat from the air to make it cold. As the refrigerant travels through a loop to go through this transformation process, a leak in the refrigerant line can cause the system to lack the refrigerant it needs to create cool air.

You'll need to have a professional come and diagnose the problem, repair the refrigerant leak, and then refill the system with more refrigerant. This is done by placing a dye in the system that helps easily identify where the leak is coming from.

2. Frozen Coils

Frozen coils can also cause warm air. It's an issue that can happen when condensation builds up on the condenser coil, causing it to freeze. Refrigerant won't be able to pass through the coil, making the system unable to remove that heat in the air. Even though the coil is frozen, it actually makes it unable to cool down your home.

The solution to this problem is easy. Your air conditioner is going to try to keep running with the hot air it is producing, so you'll need to turn the system off and let the coil thaw. One all of the ice is gone from the coil, you can turn on the air conditioner and start enjoying cold air again.

3. Overheating Compressors

As a compressor gets older, it is more likely to malfunction and shut down. This can easily happen if the unit is working hard and starts to overheat, causing it to shut down. With the compressor unable to move that refrigerant, the blower inside your home will start pushing warm air through the vents. Have an HVAC technician come investigate the problem, and let you know if the compressor needs repair or replacement. If it is close to the maximum life expectancy of the unit, you may be better off getting a replacement compressor rather than a spending money to repair it.

Contact your local air conditioning repair service for more information and assistance.