Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of explanations why your air conditioner won’t run: a blown circuit breaker, wrong thermostat settings, a switched off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.
Triggered Circuit Breaker
Your air conditioner won’t work when you have an overloaded breaker.
To find out if one has blown, find your house’s main electrical panel. You can find this silver device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Make sure your hands and feet aren’t wet before you touch the panel or breakers.
- Find the breaker identified “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” position. If it’s tripped, the breaker will be in the "off" position.
- Firmly shift the lever back to the “on” spot. If it instantly triggers again, leave it alone and call us at 254-307-9572. A fuse that keeps turning off might mean your home has an electrical issue.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t telling your AC to work, it won’t activate.
The key part is making sure it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning may not turn on. You could also receive heated air blowing from vents since the heat is running instead.
If you rely on a digital thermostat:
- Swap out the batteries if the screen is empty. If the readout is showing jumbled numbers, get a new thermostat.
- Make sure the proper mode is on the display. If you can’t update it, reverse it by decreasing the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if programming is wrong.
- Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees colder than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is set the same as the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is set properly, you should start getting cold air promptly.
If you’re using a smart thermostat, including ones made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for help. If you’re still having problems, contact us at 254-307-9572 for assistance.
Shut-Off Switch
Your cooling equipment typically has a power-cutting switch around its condenser. This device is generally in a metal box mounted on your home. If your AC has recently been maintained, the lever may have accidentally been turned off.
Clogged Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans hold the surplus water your equipment pulls from the air. This pan can be found either beneath or in your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or blocked drain, water can become concentrated and initiate a safety setting to switch off your air conditioner.
If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the extra liquid with a special pan-cleaning tablet. You can purchase these capsules at a home improvement or hardware retailer.
If your pan has a pump, look for the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you might have to replace the pump. Reach us at 254-307-9572 for assistance.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is working but not providing cold air, its airflow might be blocked. Or it could not have sufficient refrigerant.
Blocked Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be limited by a clogged air filter or dusty condenser.
How to Replace Your Air Filter
A dusty filter can create a lot of problems, like:
- Reduced cooling
- Frosted refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Uneven cooling
- Higher cooling costs
- Leading your system to wear out sooner
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 unit totally and take out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be found in an adjoining filter box or wall-mounted return air grille.
Angle the filter up to your light fixture. If you see a lot of dust, you should get a new one.
4 Tips on Cleaning Your Air Conditioning Unit
Greenery, vegetation and leaves can block your condensing unit. This may reduce its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and change your comfort. Here’s a way you can get your equipment running well again.
- Turn off power totally at the breaker or outdoor lever.
- Get rid of vegetation waste around the air conditioner. Once you’ve cleared bigger clutter within a two-foot range, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to carefully remove dirt from the unit’s fins. Distorted fins can also impact effectiveness.
- Use a hose nozzle to slowly clean the fins from inside the equipment. Make sure to avoid getting water on the fan motor.
- Turn on the power.
Not Enough Refrigerant
When cooling equipment doesn’t have adequate refrigerant, they’ll struggle to remove heat and humidity from your house.
Here are a couple of flags that your equipment is seeping refrigerant:
- It takes too long to cool your space and you’re regularly lowering the thermostat.
- Air coming through the ducts isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re hearing hissing or burbling sounds when the AC runs.
- Your evaporator coil is frosty due to having trouble taking on humidity.
Worried your equipment is seeping refrigerant? You need a authorized heating and cooling service specialist to fix the leak and restore the right level of refrigerant in your system. Call us at 254-307-9572 for help.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not getting enough cold air, there’s usually an obstruction or detachment somewhere in your air conditioning system.
- The beginning place is examining your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s dusty.
- Make sure the registers are open around your rooms.
- If you’re still not getting sufficient cold air, you should have your ducts checked by a pro like Bell Air Conditioning Inc. Your ductwork might need to be repaired or hooked up again in hard-to-reach locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.