Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of reasons why your air conditioning won’t work: a tripped circuit breaker, wrong thermostat settings, a shut off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your system won’t run when you have a blown breaker.
To check if one has blown, go to your home’s main electrical panel. You can spot this silver device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Ensure your hands and feet aren’t wet before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Look for the breaker identified “AC” and ensure it’s in the “on” position. If it’s overloaded, the lever will be in the "off" position.
- Steadily move the breaker back to the “on” spot. If it instantaneously trips again, leave it alone and contact us at 715-352-4052. A fuse that keeps flipping might signal your home has an electrical problem.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t telling your equipment to start, it won’t turn on.
The most important part is ensuring it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC might not turn on. You may also get warm air blowing from vents because the heat is on instead.
If you rely on a digital thermostat:
- Swap out the batteries if the monitor is empty. If the screen is displaying scrambled letters, buy a new thermostat.
- Make sure the correct setting is displaying. If you can’t update it, cancel it by decreasing the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will make your AC start if scheduling is incorrect.
- Test setting the thermostat 5 degrees lower than the house’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is identical to the room’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is calibrated correctly, you should receive refreshing air fast.
If you rely on a smart thermostat, such as one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If it still won’t work, contact us at 715-352-4052 for support.
Shut-Down Switch
Your air conditioner usually has a power-cutting switch around its condenser. This device is commonly in a metal box attached to your house. If your AC has recently been serviced, the device may have inadvertently been turned off.
Clogged Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans keep the additional liquid your equipment takes out of the air. This pan can be situated either under or within your furnace or air handler.
When there’s a blockage or blocked drain, water can become concentrated and initiate a safety control to stop your unit.
If your pan has a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the extra water with a custom pan-cleaning capsule. 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 switch is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you may need to replace the pump. Contact us at 715-352-4052 for help.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your AC is going but not delivering cold air, its airflow might be clogged. Or it may not have adequate refrigerant.
Clogged Airflow
Your unit’s airflow can be decreased by a plugged air filter or dirty condenser.
How to Change Your Air Filter
A dusty filter can cause a lot of troubles, like:
- Reduced airflow
- Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Intermittent cooling
- Bigger utility costs
- Causing your system to stop working more quickly
We propose installing new flat filters monthly, and pleated filters every three months.
If you aren’t sure when you last replaced your filter, switch off your equipment fully and remove the filter. You can locate the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be situated in an attached 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 buy a new filter.
4 Steps to Cleaning Your Cooling Unit
Greenery, vegetation and shrubbery can block your condensing system. This could reduce its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and impact your comfort. Here’s how you can get your equipment working properly again.
- Switch off electricity totally at the breaker or external lever.
- Remove greenery rubbish around the unit. Once you’ve gotten rid of bigger refuse within a two-foot radius, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to slowly clean the condenser fins. Deformed fins can also affect effectiveness.
- Use a hose nozzle to carefully clean the fins from inside the equipment. Make sure to avoid getting water on the fan motor.
- Turn the power back on.
Insufficient Refrigerant
When air conditioning equipment doesn’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll struggle to remove heat and humidity from your home.
Here are several indications that your equipment is leaking refrigerant:
- It takes a long time to refresh your home and you’re continually lowering the thermostat.
- Cooling blowing through the vents isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re experiencing whistling or burbling sounds when cooling is on.
- Your evaporator coil is frosted due to having difficulty taking on humidity.
Suspect your unit is leaking refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service specialist to repair the leak and refill the proper amount of refrigerant in your unit. Contact us at 715-352-4052 for support.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not having ample amounts of chilled air, there’s possibly an obstruction or separation inside your air conditioning system.
- The first step is examining your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s dusty.
- Make sure the registers are open throughout your residence.
- If you’re still not experiencing sufficient chilled air, you should have your duct system examined by a expert like Halverson Brothers Inc. Your duct system may need to be serviced or hooked up again in difficult spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.