Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a few reasons why your air conditioning system won’t start: an overloaded circuit breaker, wrong thermostat settings, a shut off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your system won’t turn on when you have a blown breaker.
To find out if one has tripped, find your residence’s main electrical panel. You can spot this gray device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet are free of moisture before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Look for the breaker labeled “AC” and confirm it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s tripped, the lever will be in the "off" position.
- Quickly shift the breaker back to the “on” location. If it instantaneously trips again, leave it alone and call us at 561-270-6228. A breaker that keeps flipping could signal your house has an electrical problem.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your AC to run, it won’t switch on.
The main step is ensuring it’s switched to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC might not start running. You could also have warm air moving from vents since the heater is on instead.
If you have a digital thermostat:
- Replace the batteries if the monitor is empty. If the screen is showing scrambled characters, get a new thermostat.
- Ensure the correct setting is displaying. If you can’t change it, cancel it by lowering the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if scheduling is wrong.
- Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees below the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t work if the thermostat is set the same as the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is calibrated accurately, you should receive refreshing air fast.
If you rely on a smart thermostat, like one produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, check the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If you still can’t get it to work, reach us at 561-270-6228 for support.
Shut-Off Switch
Your cooling equipment typically has a shut-down device around its condenser. This lever is commonly in a metal box attached to your home. If your AC has recently been worked on, the device may have accidentally been turned off.
Clogged Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans catch the surplus condensation your AC pulls from the air. This pan can be situated either beneath or inside your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or backed up drain, water can become concentrated and trigger a safety feature to turn off your system.
If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the extra liquid with a formulated pan-cleaning capsule. You can buy these capsules at a home improvement or hardware retailer.
If your pan involves a pump, locate the float switch. If the mechanism is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you could need to replace the pump. Call us at 561-270-6228 for help.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your air conditioner is on but not cooling, its airflow may be blocked. Or it may not have enough refrigerant.
Obstructed Airflow
Your equipment’s airflow can be restricted by a blocked air filter or dirty condenser.
How to Put in a New Your Air Filter
A filthy filter can lead to many issues, such as:
- Reduced comfort
- Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Intermittent cooling
- Bigger utility bills
- Causing your system to break down more quickly
We recommend replacing flat filters once a month, and pleated filters every three months.
If you aren’t sure when you last replaced your filter, shut off your system totally and take out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be situated in an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
Tilt the filter up to the light. If you see a lot of dust, you certainly should buy a new filter.
4 Steps to Cleaning Your AC Equipment
Greenery, grass and bushes can obstruct your condensing equipment. This can limit its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and affect your comfort. Here’s how you can get your system operating properly again.
- Switch off electricity fully at the breaker or outside lever.
- Clear vegetation debris around the equipment. Once you’ve cleared all the debris within a two-foot space, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to gingerly remove dirt from the equipment’s fins. Distorted fins can also hurt performance.
- Use a hose nozzle to slowly remove gunk off the fins from inside the equipment. Make sure to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
- Restore the power.
Leaking Refrigerant
When cooling equipment doesn’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your residence.
Here are several symptoms that your unit is leaking refrigerant:
- It takes an extended amount of time to cool your residence and you’re regularly decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
- Air conditioning moving through the ducts isn’t as chilled as it should be.
- You’re hearing whistling or burbling racket when the AC runs.
- Your evaporator coil is frosted on account of having trouble taking on warmth.
Suspect your unit is leaking refrigerant? You need a licensed heating and cooling service professional to take care of the leak and restore the proper level of refrigerant in your system. Get in touch with us at 561-270-6228 for support.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it appears like you’re not receiving adequate amounts of cold air, there’s likely a clog or disconnection somewhere in your cooling equipment.
- The first stage is looking at your air filter. Replace it if it’s dusty.
- Make sure the registers are open around your home.
- If you’re still not experiencing enough chilly air, you should have your ductwork checked by a expert like A2Z Air Inc. Your ducts might need to be serviced or hooked up again in limited space spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.