Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of causes why your air conditioning won’t work: a blown circuit breaker, wrong thermostat settings, a shut off switch or a full condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your system won’t work when you have a tripped breaker.
To determine if one has blown, locate your home’s main electrical panel. You can locate this silver 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.
- Look for the breaker labeled “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s overloaded, the switch will be in the "off" position.
- Quickly shift the switch back to the “on” spot. If it instantly flips again, don’t reset it and get in touch with us at 847-362-0262. A breaker that keeps tripping may signal your residence has an electrical problem.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your air conditioner to work, it won’t activate.
The main point is ensuring it’s switched to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner may not switch on. You might also have hot air moving from vents being the furnace is running instead.
If you rely on a regular thermostat:
- Swap out the batteries if the readout is blank. If the readout is presenting garbled numbers, get a new thermostat.
- Ensure the correct mode is showing. If you can’t change it, cancel it by decreasing the temperature and hitting the “hold” button. This will make your AC start if programming is not right.
- Test setting the thermostat 5 degrees colder than the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is set the same as the space’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is adjusted accurately, you should receive cold air quickly.
If you have a smart thermostat, including ones produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get it to work, contact us at 847-362-0262 for assistance.
Shut-Down Switch
Your AC probably has a power-cutting switch by its outdoor unit. This lever is commonly in a metal box mounted on your home. If your AC has recently been serviced, the device may have unintentionally been turned off.
Blocked Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans catch the surplus water your system removes from the air. This pan is located either under or inside your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or clogged drain, water can accumulate and initiate a safety setting to switch off your system.
If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the surplus liquid with a formulated pan-cleaning tab. You can buy these tablets at a home improvement or hardware retailer.
If your pan involves a pump, locate the float switch. If the switch is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you may need to get a new pump. Reach us at 847-362-0262 for assistance.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your system is working but not cooling, its airflow might be blocked. Or it could not have adequate refrigerant.
Blocked Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be decreased by a clogged air filter or dirty condenser.
How to Put in a New Your Air Filter
A dusty filter can lead to countless troubles, like:
- Reduced comfort
- Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Uneven cooling
- Bigger electricity costs
- Making your system wear out faster
We propose replacing flat filters once a month, and pleated filters every three months.
If you can’t recall when you last replaced your filter, turn off your AC totally and remove the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be found in a connected filter box or wall-mounted return air grille.
Angle the filter up to the light. If you can’t see through it, you need to get a new one.
4 Tips on Cleaning Your Cooling Unit
Greenery, plants and sticks can block your condensing unit. This may reduce its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and change your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your system operating smoothly again.
- Shut off electricity completely at the breaker or external device.
- Clear yard rubbish around the air conditioner. Once you’ve cleared bigger refuse within a two-foot area, you can use a fine-bristled brush or vacuum to slowly remove dirt from the equipment’s fins. Bent fins can also hurt effectiveness.
- Use a hose nozzle to gingerly take off dirt on the fins from inside the unit. Be careful to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
- Restore the power.
Insufficient Refrigerant
When air conditioning equipment doesn’t have adequate refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your house.
Here are a couple of symptoms that your unit is leaking refrigerant:
- It takes too long to refresh your house and you’re regularly lowering the thermostat.
- Air coming through the registers isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re noticing hissing or burbling noises when the air conditioning is on.
- Your evaporator coil is frosted due to having an issue handling heat.
Worried your system is leaking refrigerant? You need a licensed heating and cooling service professional to fix the leak and restore the correct level of refrigerant in your system. Reach us at 847-362-0262 for assistance.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not receiving ample amounts of cool air, there’s likely a clog or detachment within your air conditioning system.
- The first step is examining your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s soiled.
- Make sure the registers are open throughout your home.
- If you’re still not getting sufficient cold air, you should have your ducts checked by a professional like TopTec Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical. Your duct system might need to be serviced or reconnected in tricky spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.