Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a few causes why your AC unit won’t cool: a blown circuit breaker, wrong thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your air conditioning won’t run when you have an overloaded breaker.
To find out if one has gotten overloaded, locate your house’s main electrical panel. You can find this metallic fixture on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Ensure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Locate the breaker labeled “AC” and confirm it’s in the “on” position. If it’s tripped, the breaker will be in the "off" position.
- Firmly move the breaker back to the “on” spot. If it immediately trips again, don’t reset it and contact us at (337) 234-2345. A breaker that keeps flipping could indicate your house has an electrical issue.
Inaccurate Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t signaling your equipment to run, it won’t activate.
The key step is making sure it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner may not start running. You could also have warm air moving from vents since the heater is on instead.
If you’re using a regular thermostat:
- Swap out the batteries if the readout is empty. If the monitor is showing scrambled numbers, get a new thermostat.
- Check the right mode is on the display. If you can’t change it, override it by dropping the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if scheduling is incorrect.
- Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees lower than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t start if the thermostat matches the room’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is set correctly, you should start getting cool air fast.
If you’re using a smart thermostat, including ones made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get it to work, contact us at (337) 234-2345 for support.
Shut-Down Switch
Your air conditioner probably has a power-cutting lever near its condenser. This device is typically in a metal box hung on your house. If your equipment has recently been serviced, the device may have unintentionally been turned off.
Overflowing Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans hold the surplus water your AC takes out of the air. This pan is located either beneath or inside your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or clogged drain, water can accumulate and trigger a safety feature to turn off your unit.
If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the extra water with a special pan-cleaning tab. You can get these capsules at a home improvement or hardware retailer.
If your pan includes a pump, look for the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you could need to get a new pump. Call us at (337) 234-2345 for support.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your air conditioner is going but not cooling, its airflow could be obstructed. Or it might not have adequate refrigerant.
Obstructed Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be reduced by a plugged air filter or dusty condenser.
How to Change Your Air Filter
A filthy filter can create many problems, like:
- Limited comfort
- Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Inconsistent cooling
- Bigger utility bills
- Causing your system to stop working more quickly
We propose 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 fully and remove the filter. You can locate the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be situated in a connected filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
Hold the filter up to your light fixture. If you see a lot of dust, you certainly should buy a new filter.
4 Steps to Cleaning Your AC Unit
Weeds, plants and shrubbery can get in the way of your condensing unit. This may restrict its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and change your comfort. Here’s a way you can get your unit operating smoothly again.
- Shut off power fully at the breaker or outdoor switch.
- Get rid of plant debris around the equipment. Once you’ve cleared larger refuse within a two-foot area, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to carefully clean the unit’s fins. Bent fins can also hurt performance.
- 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.
- Restore the power.
Leaking Refrigerant
When AC systems don’t have ample refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your rooms.
Here are several flags that your equipment is losing refrigerant:
- It takes too long to lower the temperature in your space and you’re continually decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
- Air conditioning blowing through the registers isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re hearing whistling or bubbling noises when cooling is on.
- Your evaporator coil is frozen because it’s having difficulty absorbing heat.
Worried your system is leaking refrigerant? You need a authorized heating and cooling service expert to fix the leak and restore the correct amount of refrigerant in your system. Reach us at (337) 234-2345 for help.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not getting adequate amounts of cool air, there’s possibly a clog or disconnection inside your cooling unit.
- The initial stage is looking at your air filter. Get a new one if it’s soiled.
- Make sure the ductwork is open across your rooms.
- If you’re still not experiencing adequate chilly air, you should have your ducts examined by a specialist like AC Sales. Your duct system may need to be fixed or reconnected in limited space areas like your attic, basement or crawl space.
