Having your air conditioner fail in the heat of summer is not only frustrating, but it can be dangerous for children, the elderly and those with frail health. Getting it back up and running quickly is your first priority, but there a few simple steps that you can take before calling an HVAC professional. While trusted repair teams are standing by at Buckeye Heating & Cooling, there are times when you can troubleshoot to help get your family cool again in case your cooling system goes out.
Check for Electrical Problems
A quick power outage or a temporary overload can trip a breaker. You can easily tell if this is the problem by going outside your home, finding the breaker box (which will be near your electric meter or in your garage), and finding the breaker which corresponds to your HVAC unit. Give it a flip and see if the A/C kicks back on.
Check the Air Filter
Restricted air flow can be a big problem with air conditioning and heating units. The dirt causes the air to flow so slowly through the filter that it freezes up your unit. Dirty filters are a dead giveaway (and an easy fix), as is seeing ice on your outdoor HVAC unit. Sometimes, you can solve the problem if you catch it quickly by turning the air “off” and switching the fan “on” to help melt the ice. Wait a few hours and try re-launching the air conditioner, but watch it closely! Call a licensed HVAC contractor if it begins freezing up again.
Replace Those Batteries
Surprisingly enough, the problem may not even be with your air conditioning unit, but instead with some of the supporting electronics. Your thermostat runs on batteries, and if they’re running low and need to be replaced, your unit may begin acting oddly. Most units take two AA batteries, which are often easily replaced by pulling out the thermostat cover or indoor breaker panel.
Clean the Evaporator
Over the years, your evaporator unit can accumulate a great deal of dust, dirt, grass clippings and other things that shouldn’t be there. Keep it clean and obstruction-free by pulling weeds and tall grasses away from the area, ensuring that air is able to easily flow through the unit.
Everything Else
If you’ve tried all of the above, and your air conditioner still isn’t functioning as it should, it’s time to call the professionals! The unit may be cycling on and off repeatedly, freezing again and again, or blowing warm air — all of these issues are more in-depth and likely can’t be solved without specialized equipment and knowledge of your particular HVAC unit.
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