Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a few causes why your air conditioning won’t work: an overloaded circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Triggered Circuit Breaker
Your system won’t work when you have a tripped breaker.
To see if one has tripped, locate your house’s main electrical panel. You can locate this metallic device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Make sure your hands and feet aren’t wet before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Look for the breaker marked “AC” and ensure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s tripped, the lever will be in the "off" position.
- Firmly shift the lever back to the “on” location. If it instantly triggers again, leave it alone and contact us at 334-524-2458. A switch that keeps tripping could mean your house has an electrical issue.
Inaccurate Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your system to work, it won’t activate.
The first part is ensuring it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC will probably not start running. You could also receive warm air blowing from vents since the furnace is running instead.
If you’re using a digital thermostat:
- Put in new batteries if the monitor is blank. If the screen is presenting scrambled letters, get a new thermostat.
- Check the right program is displaying. If you can’t change it, override it by decreasing the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if the configuration is wrong.
- Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees cooler than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat matches the space’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is set accurately, you should begin getting chilled air promptly.
If you’re using a smart thermostat, including ones produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If you still can’t get it to work, call us at 334-524-2458 for support.
Shut-Off Switch
Your cooling equipment probably has a power-cutting switch around its condenser. This device is commonly in a metal box attached to your home. If your AC has recently been maintained, the lever may have unintentionally been turned off.
Overflowing Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans keep the surplus water your system removes from the air. This pan can be found either below or within your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or clogged drain, water can become concentrated and initiate a safety feature to turn off your unit.
If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the extra liquid with a formulated pan-cleaning tab. You can buy these tabs at a home improvement or hardware shop.
If your pan has a pump, locate the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you could need to get a new pump. Contact us at 334-524-2458 for assistance.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your system is on but not delivering cold air, its airflow may be clogged. Or it could not have sufficient refrigerant.
Blocked Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be reduced by a blocked air filter or filthy condenser.
How to Replace Your Air Filter
A filthy filter can lead to many troubles, including:
- Lower cooling
- Frosted refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Intermittent cooling
- Larger utility expenses
- Making your system stop working sooner
We propose changing flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.
If you aren’t sure when you last replaced your filter, shut off your system totally and pull out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It could also be situated in an adjoining filter box or wall-mounted return air grille.
Angle the filter up to your light fixture. If you can’t see through it, you certainly should get a new one.
4 Tips on Cleaning Your Air Conditioning System
Brush, grass and shrubbery can block your condensing equipment. This could restrict its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and change your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your equipment operating smoothly again.
- Switch off power fully at the breaker or external lever.
- Get rid of yard rubbish around the AC. Once you’ve cleared all the debris within a two-foot space, you can use a fine-bristled brush or vacuum to slowly remove dust from the condenser fins. Warped fins can also impact efficiency.
- Use a hose nozzle to carefully remove gunk off the fins from inside the unit. Be careful to avoid getting moisture on the fan motor.
- Restore the power.
Leaking Refrigerant
When cooling units don’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have difficulty removing heat and humidity from your house.
Here are a few flags that your unit is leaking refrigerant:
- It takes too long to refresh your residence and you’re regularly lowering the thermostat.
- Cooling moving through the registers isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re hearing hissing or bubbling racket when cooling works.
- Your evaporator coil is frozen due to having difficulty absorbing warmth.
Worried your equipment is leaking refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service professional to take care of the leak and replenish the proper amount of refrigerant in your unit. Call us at 334-524-2458 for help.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not getting enough cool air, there’s usually a blockage or detachment inside your air conditioning equipment.
- The first step is checking your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s dusty.
- Make sure the vents are open around your home.
- If you’re still not receiving sufficient cold air, you should have your duct system examined by a professional like Farnell Mechanical, Inc.. Your ductwork may need to be fixed or reconnected in difficult spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.