Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of causes why your AC equipment won’t start: a blown circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a shut off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Your system won’t work when you have a tripped breaker.
To check if one has blown, find your house’s main electrical panel. You can spot this gray fixture on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet are dry before you touch the panel or breakers.
- Find the breaker identified “AC” and confirm it’s in the “on” location. If it’s tripped, the breaker will be in the middle of the panel or “off” spot.
- Steadily move the switch back to the “on” spot. If it instantaneously trips again, leave it alone and get in touch with us at 918-682-8238. A switch that keeps turning off may signal your home has electrical trouble.
Incorrect Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your equipment to start, it won’t switch on.
The most important part is making sure it’s switched to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner might not start running. Or you might get warm air blowing from vents since the furnace is going instead.
If you have a regular thermostat:
- Replace the batteries if the monitor is clear. If the readout is displaying jumbled letters, replace the thermostat.
- Make sure the proper mode is on the display. If you can’t update it, override it by lowering the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if programming is incorrect.
- Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees lower than the house’s temperature. Your AC won’t work if the thermostat is set the same as the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is adjusted correctly, you should start getting chilled air fast.
If you have a smart thermostat, such as one manufactured by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you’re still having problems, contact us at 918-682-8238 for assistance.
Shut-Off Switch
Your cooling equipment usually has a shut-off switch by its outside unit. This lever is typically in a metal box mounted on your home. If your equipment has recently been fixed, the lever may have unintentionally been placed in the “off” setting.
Blocked Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans hold the additional water your equipment pulls from the air. This pan is located either under or within your furnace or air handler.
When there’s a clog or blocked drain, water can build up and trigger a safety feature to stop your equipment.
If your pan has a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the surplus liquid with a formulated pan-cleaning tablet. You can get these tablets at a home improvement or hardware store.
If your pan includes a pump, look for the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you may need to get a new pump. Call us at 918-682-8238 for assistance.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is going but not cooling, its airflow may be clogged. Or it may not have enough refrigerant.
Clogged Airflow
Your unit’s airflow can be limited by a clogged air filter or dirty condenser.
How to Replace Your Air Filter
A dirty filter can lead to countless issues, such as:
- Limited cooling
- Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Uneven cooling
- Bigger electricity bills
- Making your system stop working more quickly
We recommend replacing flat filters every four weeks, and creased filters every three months.
If you can’t remember when you last changed yours, turn off your AC fully and remove the filter. You can locate the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be found in a connected filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
Tilt the filter up to the sunshine. If you can’t see through it, you certainly should get a new one.
5 Tips on Cleaning Your Air Conditioning System
Brush, grass and leaves can obstruct your condensing equipment. This could restrict its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and impact your comfort. Here’s how you can get your unit operating properly again.
- Switch off electricity completely at the breaker or outside device.
- Clear yard rubbish around the AC. Once you’ve gotten rid of larger refuse within a two-foot range, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to carefully remove dirt from the condenser fins. Warped fins can also hurt capability, so you can attempt to reshape them with a dinner knife.
- Take off the top of your system and pull out any leaves or weeds that has accumulated. Then wipe off the condenser fan with a damp rag.
- Use a hose nozzle to carefully remove gunk off the fins from inside the equipment. Be careful to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
- Install the top again and turn the power back on.
Leaking Refrigerant
When air conditioning systems don’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have difficulty removing heat and humidity from the air.
Here are a couple of symptoms that your unit is losing refrigerant:
- It takes too long to cool your home and you’re regularly turning down the thermostat.
- Cooling coming through the ducts isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re hearing hissing or bubbling racket when the AC works.
- Your evaporator coil is frosty because it’s having trouble handling humidity.
Think your system is leaking refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service specialist to fix the leak and replenish the correct level of refrigerant in your unit. Reach us at 918-682-8238 for help.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it seems like you’re not getting enough chilled air, there’s potentially an obstruction or detachment inside your AC system.
- The beginning stage is checking your air filter. Replace it if it’s filthy.
- Then make sure the ductwork is clear across your home.
- If you’re still not receiving ample chilly air, you should have your duct system examined by a specialist like Hix Air Conditioning Service, Inc.. Your ductwork might need to be serviced or rejoined in tricky locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.