An air conditioner that consistently cycles on and off every eight minutes is experiencing a classic case of short cycling, which indicates that a safety mechanism or control fault is prematurely halting the cooling process. One of the most common reasons for an eight-minute cycle is severely restricted airflow, often caused by a dirty air filter or blocked supply vents, which drops the temperature of the evaporator coils below freezing and triggers a safety shutdown as ice forms. Another frequent cause is an oversized air conditioning unit that blasts too much cold air into the space too quickly, satisfying the thermostat sensor in just a few minutes before adequately dehumidifying the home. Additionally, electrical issues such as a weakening run capacitor overheating and tripping its internal overload protector, or a low refrigerant charge triggering a pressure switch, can consistently cut the run cycle short after a few minutes.
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