Why is my AC running but not cooling?

This is a specific complaint and it narrows things down more than people expect. The system has power, the fan is turning, air is coming out of the vents, and the house will not cool. That combination rules out a lot and points at a short list.

Feel the air first

Put your hand at a supply vent. If the air is cool but the house is not getting there, the problem is capacity or distribution: a dirty filter, a leaking duct, an undersized unit, or a system struggling against a very hot day. If the air is room temperature or warm, the system is not producing cold at all, and that is a different list.

Warm air at the vents

The usual causes are low refrigerant from a leak, a frozen evaporator coil, a dirty condenser outside, or a failed capacitor or compressor.

Low refrigerant is worth understanding: air conditioning does not consume refrigerant. If it is low, it leaked, and topping it up without finding the leak means paying for the same repair again next season. Anyone who tops it up and leaves is not doing you a favor.

Ice on the lines

If you can see frost or ice on the refrigerant line or the indoor coil, switch the system off and leave the fan running. Let it thaw fully before anyone works on it. Ice usually traces back to airflow or refrigerant, so it is a symptom rather than the fault itself.

Check outside

The condenser needs to shed heat. If it is packed with grass clippings, leaves or dust, or if something is growing against it, it cannot. Clear a couple of feet around it and gently rinse the fins. That is a legitimate homeowner job and sometimes it is the whole answer.

The part we cannot tell you over the phone

Whether a fourteen year old unit is worth repairing again. We can tell you what the repair costs and what a replacement costs, and we will give you both, but the call between them depends on how long you plan to stay in the house, and that is yours to make rather than ours.

What we can do is find the actual fault first. Refrigerant work is licensed work, so once the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, it needs gauges. Call (805) 460-9305 on a weekday.