What HVAC Short Cycling Is & How to Prevent It

November 27, 2020

What HVAC Short Cycling Is & How to Prevent It

72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-What-HVAC-Short-Cycling-Is-How-to-Prevent-It

During the winter and summer months, our HVAC units work overtime to ensure that we’re comfortable throughout the season while bringing in fresh, clean air to breathe. However, if you find that your HVAC unit shuts off intermittently, then your unit is “short cycling”. This isn’t an issue that you should try to DIY, so you should leave it to your HVAC and home furnace repair professional, as they have the skills and tools to pull off the job correctly.


In this post, Cooper Brothers Inc, a top A/C repair company, shares what HVAC short cycling is, what causes it and how you can prevent it from occurring.


What Causes HVAC Short Cycling?


If your unit is short cycling, you’re heating and cooling systems must work harder than usual. As this issue persists, the internal components will start to wear out, reducing their lifespan further. Before this problem worsens, here are some signs and the underlying causes you should address immediately.


  • Incorrect sizing. Your A/C repair expert will tell you that one of the main causes of short cycling is that your HVAC unit is incorrectly sized for your home. This results in your HVAC unit exceeding its temperature threshold, which causes it to shut off.


  • Storm outages. If a storm has passed through your area, electrical issues can cause your HVAC system to shorten cycle as well if the power goes out where you’re located.


  • Thermostat issues. If you install your thermostat in a spot that’s exposed to direct sunlight or hot appliances, this will lead to your thermostat reading the temperature incorrectly, which can cause your HVAC system to operate intermittently.


How to Prevent HVAC Short Cycling


To prevent this issue, make sure that you contact your trusted HVAC contractor to conduct a thorough inspection, during which they can spot any underlying issues that can cause HVAC short cycling. Addressing the issues early on can save you a ton of time and money and keep you feeling comfortable in the season to come.


Cooper Brothers, Inc. is the top air conditioner repair expert you can count on for the highest-quality service. Our service areas include the cities in and around San Jose, CA. 

72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-Four-Essential-Things-You-Must-Know-About-HVAC-Maintenance
June 29, 2025
Four Essential Things You Must Know About HVAC Maintenance
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-Health-and-Safety-Issues-Related-to-HVAC
May 25, 2025
Health and Safety Issues Related to HVAC
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-Dangers-of-Badly-Maintained-Air-Conditioners
February 26, 2025
Dangers of Badly Maintained Air Conditioners
72 Degrees air Conditioning and Heating-Advantages-of-a-Modulating-HVAC-System
September 11, 2024
Advantages of a Modulating HVAC System
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-The-Real-Meaning-of-Expert-Air-Conditioning-Services
August 28, 2024
The Real Meaning of Expert Air Conditioning Services
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-Renewable-Energy-Resources-for-HVAC
July 24, 2024
Renewable Energy Resources for HVAC
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-Fix-your-Noisy Air-Conditioners
March 27, 2024
Fix your Noisy Air Conditioners
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-Making-Optimum-Use-of-Natural-Environment
November 27, 2023
Making Optimum Use of Natural Environment
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-How-Important-is-Compressor-Health-in-Air-Conditioning-Maint
October 15, 2023
How Important is Compressor Health in Air Conditioning Maintenance?
72 Degrees Air Conditioning and Heating-How-Relative-Humidity-Affects-Indoor-Air-Quality
August 14, 2023
How Relative Humidity Affects Indoor Air Quality?
Show More