Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of causes why your AC unit won’t run: a blown circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Your air conditioning won’t work when you have an overloaded breaker.
To find out if one has tripped, find your home’s main electrical panel. You can locate this metallic box on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet aren’t wet before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Locate the breaker marked “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s tripped, the lever will be in the "off" position.
- Quickly shift the switch back to the “on” spot. If it immediately trips again, leave it alone and get in touch with us at 432-237-0168. A fuse that keeps turning off may indicate your home has electrical trouble.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t telling your air conditioner to run, it won’t turn on.
The first step is making sure it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner will probably not start running. You could also get warm air blowing from vents because the heater is running instead.
If you have a regular thermostat:
- Put in new batteries if the monitor is clear. If the monitor is displaying jumbled letters, replace the thermostat.
- Check the proper setting is displaying. If you can’t change it, cancel it by decreasing the temperature and hitting the “hold” button. This will make your AC start if programming is not right.
- Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees lower than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t work if the thermostat is identical to the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is set correctly, you should start getting refreshing air fast.
If you have a smart thermostat, such as one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you still can’t get it to work, reach us at 432-237-0168 for assistance.
Shut-Off Switch
Your air conditioner usually has a shut-down lever by its outside unit. This device is typically in a metal box hung on your home. If your unit has recently been maintained, the device may have inadvertently been turned off.
Blocked Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans keep the additional liquid your equipment removes from the air. This pan can be situated either below or in your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or backed up drain, water can become concentrated and trigger a safety setting to turn off your equipment.
If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the extra condensation with a custom pan-cleaning tablet. You can get these tabs at a home improvement or hardware store.
If your pan has a pump, find the float switch. If the switch is “up” and there’s water in the pan, you might have to get a new pump. Reach us at 432-237-0168 for help.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your air conditioner is going but not delivering cold air, its airflow might be blocked. Or it could not have sufficient refrigerant.
Clogged Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be decreased by a plugged air filter or dusty condenser.
How to Replace Your Air Filter
A dirty filter can lead to a lot of troubles, like:
- Limited airflow
- Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Inconsistent cooling
- Bigger electricity bills
- Causing your system to break down faster
We recommend changing flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.
If you can’t remember when you last replaced your filter, turn off your AC totally and take out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It could also be situated in an attached filter holder 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.
4 Tips on Cleaning Your Air Conditioning Equipment
Weeds, grass and shrubbery can get in the way of your condensing unit. This can limit its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and affect your comfort. Here’s a way you can get your equipment operating smoothly again.
- Switch off electricity completely at the breaker or external switch.
- Clear plant debris around the air conditioner. Once you’ve removed bigger refuse within a two-foot range, you can use a fine-bristled brush or vacuum to gingerly remove dirt from the condenser fins. Deformed fins can also hurt capability.
- Use a hose nozzle to gingerly take off dirt on the fins from inside the system. Make sure to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
- Turn the power back on.
Leaking Refrigerant
When air conditioning equipment doesn’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your space.
Here are several indications that your system is losing refrigerant:
- It takes too long to refresh your residence and you’re regularly lowering the thermostat.
- Air conditioning coming through the registers isn’t as chilly as it should be.
- You’re hearing hissing or bubbling noises when the air conditioning works.
- Your evaporator coil is frosted as a result of having difficulty handling heat.
Suspect your equipment is losing refrigerant? You need a licensed heating and cooling service professional to repair the leak and restore the right measurement of refrigerant in your system. Contact us at 432-237-0168 for support.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not receiving adequate amounts of chilled air, there’s probably a clog or disconnection somewhere in your air conditioning equipment.
- The first stage is examining your air filter. Replace it if it’s dusty.
- Make sure the ductwork is open around your rooms.
- If you’re still not getting sufficient chilled air, you should have your ductwork examined by a specialist like Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning. Your ductwork may need to be repaired or reconnected in tricky locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.