Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of reasons why your air conditioning won’t work: a triggered circuit breaker, incorrect thermostat settings, a switched off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.
Triggered Circuit Breaker
Your air conditioning won’t turn on when you have a blown breaker.
To find out if one has tripped, find your residence’s main electrical panel. You can spot this gray box on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Make sure your hands and feet aren’t wet before you check the panel or breakers.
- Look for the breaker marked “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s triggered, the switch will be in the "off" position.
- Firmly transfer the breaker back to the “on” location. If it instantaneously flips again, don’t touch it and reach us at 631-246-4029. A breaker that keeps flipping might indicate your house has an electrical issue.
Inaccurate Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t signaling your equipment to run, it won’t turn on.
The first point is making sure it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner will probably not turn on. You might also have warm air moving from vents because the heat is going instead.
If you rely on a traditional thermostat:
- Put in new batteries if the screen is blank. If the screen is showing scrambled letters, get a new thermostat.
- Ensure the proper option is showing. If you can’t update it, override it by decreasing the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will make your AC start if programming is wrong.
- Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees cooler than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is set the same as the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is calibrated accurately, you should receive cool air promptly.
If you have a smart thermostat, such as one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for help. If you’re still having problems, contact us at 631-246-4029 for support.
Turn-Off Switch
Your air conditioner typically has a shut-down device around its outdoor unit. This switch is generally in a metal box mounted on your home. If your unit has recently been tuned up, the lever may have inadvertently been turned off.
Blocked Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans keep the additional water your system takes out of the air. This pan can be positioned either beneath or in your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or backed up drain, water can accumulate and prompt a safety feature to switch off your system.
If your pan has a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the surplus condensation with a special pan-cleaning capsule. You can buy these capsules at a home improvement or hardware retailer.
If your pan involves a pump, locate the float switch. If the mechanism is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you might have to replace the pump. Contact us at 631-246-4029 for support.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your AC is working but not providing cold air, its airflow may be congested. Or it may not have sufficient refrigerant.
Clogged Airflow
Your equipment’s airflow can be reduced by a blocked air filter or dusty condenser.
How to Put in a New Your Air Filter
A dusty filter can cause countless troubles, such as:
- Limited cooling
- Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Inconsistent cooling
- Increased cooling bills
- Making your system wear out faster
We recommend changing flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.
If you can’t recall when you last replaced your filter, turn off your system fully and take out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be located in an adjoining filter holder or wall-mounted return air grille.
Angle the filter up to your light fixture. If you see a lot of dust, you should buy a new filter.
4 Steps to Cleaning Your Air Conditioning System
Greenery, plants and leaves can obstruct your condensing system. This may restrict its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and affect your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your equipment operating smoothly again.
- Turn off power totally at the breaker or outside switch.
- Get rid of plant waste around the unit. Once you’ve gotten rid of larger debris within a two-foot space, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to carefully remove dust from the equipment’s fins. Misshapen fins can also affect performance.
- Use a hose nozzle to slowly take off dirt on the fins from inside the equipment. Don’t get water on the fan motor.
- Turn the power back on.
Low Refrigerant Levels
When air conditioning units don’t have ample refrigerant, they’ll struggle to remove heat and humidity from your house.
Here are several indications that your equipment is seeping refrigerant:
- It takes a long time to lower the temperature in your space and you’re continually decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
- Cooling moving through the registers isn’t as chilled as it should be.
- You’re hearing hissing or gurgling sounds when the air conditioning runs.
- Your evaporator coil is frosted because it’s having difficulty handling heat.
Worried your unit is losing refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service specialist to fix the leak and replenish the proper measurement of refrigerant in your system. Get in touch with us at 631-246-4029 for assistance.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not receiving enough chilled air, there’s probably a blockage or disconnection within your AC system.
- The initial stage is checking your air filter. Get a new one if it’s soiled.
- Make sure the registers are open across your home.
- If you’re still not experiencing enough chilly air, you should have your ductwork checked by a expert like Cool Power LLC . Your duct system may need to be repaired or hooked up again in limited space spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.