Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be several causes why your central AC system won’t cool: a triggered circuit breaker, wrong thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your cooling won’t work when you have a tripped breaker.
To check if one has gotten overloaded, find your house’s main electrical panel. You can spot this silver device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet are free of moisture before you check the panel or breakers.
- Locate the breaker marked “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” location. If it’s tripped, the lever will be in the in between or “off” location.
- Quickly shift the breaker back to the “on” spot. If it instantly trips again, don’t touch it and call us at 715-384-3163. A fuse that keeps flipping might indicate your house has an electrical problem.
Inaccurate Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your AC to start, it won’t switch on.
The first step is ensuring it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning will probably not start running. Or you could receive warm air blowing from vents being the heater is going instead.
If you rely on a regular thermostat:
- Put in new batteries if the screen is empty. If the monitor is presenting scrambled letters, replace the thermostat.
- Make sure the correct program is displaying. If you can’t update it, reverse it by lowering the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will make your AC start if programming is not right.
- Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees cooler than the space’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 receive cool air quickly.
If you have a smart thermostat, including ones manufactured by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you still can’t get it to work, call us at 715-384-3163 for help.
Shut-Off Switch
Your system usually has a power-cutting lever near its outdoor unit. This lever is typically in a metal box hung on your home. If your equipment has recently been serviced, the device may have accidentally been left in the “off” setting.
Blocked Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans hold the additional water your system takes out of the air. This pan can be positioned either beneath or within your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or backed up drain, water can accumulate and prompt a safety control to stop your air conditioner.
If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the surplus condensation with a custom pan-cleaning tab. You can purchase these tablets at a home improvement or hardware store.
If your pan includes a pump, locate the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you could need to replace the pump. Call us at 715-384-3163 for help.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is running but not cooling, its airflow may be blocked. Or it might not have sufficient refrigerant.
Blocked Airflow
Your unit’s airflow can be limited by a blocked air filter or dusty condenser.
How to Replace Your Air Filter
A dusty filter can lead to many issues, such as:
- Lower cooling
- Frosted refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Uneven cooling
- Increased energy expenses
- Causing your system to stop working more quickly
We suggest installing new flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.
If you can’t remember when you last replaced yours, shut off your equipment totally and remove the filter. You can find the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be situated in an adjoining filter box or wall-mounted return air grille.
Hold the filter up to your light fixture. If you can’t see any light, you should buy a new filter.
5 Steps to Cleaning Your Air Conditioning Unit
Greenery, plants and bushes can obstruct your condensing system. This may reduce its airflow, make it less energy efficient and impact your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your equipment working smoothly again.
- Turn off power fully at the breaker or outdoor device.
- Clear greenery waste around the AC. Once you’ve gotten rid of bigger clutter within a two-foot space, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to slowly remove dust from the equipment’s fins. Kinked fins can also impact effectiveness, so you can attempt to straighten them with a small knife.
- Take off the upper grate of your unit and pull out any leaves or sticks that has accumulated. Then wipe down the condenser fan with a wet scrap cloth.
- Use a hose nozzle to slowly take off dirt on the fins from inside the unit. Make sure to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
- Install the top again and restore the power.
Insufficient Refrigerant
When air conditioning systems don’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your house.
Here are several symptoms that your system is leaking refrigerant:
- It takes a long time to refresh your residence and you’re continually turning down the thermostat.
- Air coming through the vents isn’t as chilly as it should be.
- You’re noticing hissing or burbling racket when the AC is on.
- Your evaporator coil is icy because it’s having trouble handling heat.
Suspect your unit is losing refrigerant? You need a certified heating and cooling service expert to take care of the leak and replenish the correct level of refrigerant in your system. Contact us at 715-384-3163 for help.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it seems like you’re not having adequate amounts of cold air, there’s likely a blockage or detachment inside your air conditioning unit.
- The beginning place is looking at your air filter. Get a new one if it’s filthy.
- Then make sure the ductwork is clear across your house.
- If you’re still not experiencing enough chilly air, you should have your duct system checked by a pro like House of Heating Incorporated. Your duct system might need to be repaired or reconnected in difficult locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.