If your air conditioner isn’t working there are 3 things any homeowner should be able to check before calling for an A/C repair. Checking the thermostat, air filters, and breaker box can be a quick easy fix so you don’t need to have an HVAC technician out, saving you a service charge.
1.) Thermostat
The thermostat is the brain of your homes air conditioning system, it tells the unit to turn on and cool your home when the temperature goes above its set point. Check if your unit is set to Auto Mode; that is the mode that automatically turns on your unit when the temperature goes above its set point. If your system is set to On Mode then your units fan is just blowing air throughout your home, it’s not cooling, and that can solve your problem immediately. If your unit is on Auto Mode but not working switch it to On Mode briefly, if you notice your indoor fan working for your unit then at least you can tell the contractor who comes out that there is power to the unit. Last, if your thermostat is blank, check to see if there are batteries in it (some have power wired to the thermostat, it might not need batteries).
2. Air Filter
Your air filter, filters all the air in your home before it’s cooled by your evaporator coil. If they aren’t changed routinely they can get so dirty that they restrict airflow. If restricted enough your evaporator coil won’t evaporate moisture on the coil and will freeze due to the cold temperature of the refrigerant in the coils. It can get so bad that your unit won’t have any airflow because of how much ice can build up on the evaporator coil. For a quick fix, check your filter and if it’s dirty replace it, leave your unit off to allow for defrosting, then after a couple of hours turn the unit back on.
3.) Breaker Box
Your breaker box has switches that control the electric current to zones of your house, in this case your air conditioner. If you have a split system the circuits are usually divided by the air handler and condenser and will be separately labeled. The breaker may have just flipped from too much current passing. Go to your breaker box, they are typically outside or in your garage, look for where it’s labeled for your AC unit and if it’s in the off position flip it back on and your unit should work again. This can be a reoccurring problem where you might have to flip the breakers often, in that case, you should consider having someone out because it is only a temporary fix.
Still Not Cooling?
If your unit is still not cooling you should call an HVAC company out for a service call and leave your unit off. It could be frozen over and leaving it off will help the technician make his diagnosis.
If you need an air conditioning company anywhere in the Phoenix area, we are based out of Tempe and serve the whole Phoenix metropolitan. (See service area at bottom of web page)
We offer free service calls Monday to Friday between 9 am to 5 pm and charge $55 any other time.