Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of causes why your air conditioning system won’t run: a tripped circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a shut off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Your cooling won’t turn on when you have an overloaded breaker.
To check if one has tripped, locate your house’s main electrical panel. You can locate this gray device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet aren’t wet before you touch the panel or breakers.
- Find the breaker marked “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s overloaded, the breaker will be in the middle or “off” position.
- Steadily transfer the breaker back to the “on” spot. If it instantaneously flips again, leave it alone and call us at 513-268-5164. A fuse that keeps flipping could indicate your residence has an electrical problem.
Inaccurate Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t signaling your system to work, it won’t turn on.
The most important point is checking it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning might not turn on. Or you could have heated air coming from vents being the heat is going instead.
If you have a regular thermostat:
- Replace the batteries if the monitor is blank. If the readout is displaying jumbled characters, buy a new thermostat.
- Make sure the right setting is showing. If you can’t change it, cancel it by dropping the temperature and hitting the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if programming is incorrect.
- Test setting the thermostat 5 degrees below the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t work if the thermostat is identical to the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is calibrated accurately, you should start getting chilled air promptly.
If you have a smart thermostat, such as one produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If you’re still having problems, contact us at 513-268-5164 for help.
Turn-Off Switch
Your system typically has a shut-down device near its outdoor unit. This lever is commonly in a metal box mounted on your home. If your unit has recently been fixed, the lever may have unintentionally been put in the “off” position.
Overflowing Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans catch the extra water your AC removes from the air. This pan can be situated either below or inside your furnace or air handler.
When there’s a blockage or blocked drain, water can build up and prompt a safety setting to stop your air conditioner.
If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can get rid of the extra water with a custom pan-cleaning tablet. You can get these tabs at a home improvement or hardware shop.
If your pan involves a pump, locate the float switch. If the mechanism is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you might have to install a new pump. Reach us at 513-268-5164 for help.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is on but not cooling, its airflow may be obstructed. Or it might not have enough refrigerant.
Obstructed Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be reduced by a blocked air filter or dirty condenser.
How to Put in a New Your Air Filter
A dusty filter can cause a lot of problems, like:
- Limited airflow
- Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Uneven cooling
- Bigger cooling expenses
- Causing your system to break down sooner
We propose changing flat filters once a month, and accordion filters every three months.
If you can’t remember when you last changed yours, shut off your unit totally and take out the filter. You can find the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It could also be located 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.
5 Steps to Cleaning Your Cooling System
Greenery, vegetation and leaves can obstruct your condensing system. This could limit its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and impact your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your unit working properly again.
- Switch off the electrical current completely at the breaker or outdoor switch.
- Get rid of greenery debris around the air conditioner. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the debris within a two-foot space, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to carefully remove dirt from the unit’s fins. Deformed fins can also affect efficiency, so you can attempt to reshape them with a small knife.
- Lift off the top of your air conditioner and take out any leaves or grass clippings that has collected. Then clean the condenser fan with a damp rag.
- Use a hose nozzle to gingerly remove gunk off the fins from inside the unit. Make sure to avoid getting moisture on the fan motor.
- Put the top back on and turn on the power.
Leaking Refrigerant
When AC systems don’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have difficulty removing heat and humidity from the air.
Here are a few indications that your unit is losing refrigerant:
- It takes too long to lower the temperature in your home and you’re continually lowering the thermostat.
- Air blowing through the ducts isn’t as chilled as it should be.
- You’re hearing hissing or gurgling sounds when the air conditioning runs.
- Your evaporator coil is frosty on account of having difficulty absorbing warmth.
Worried your equipment is seeping refrigerant? You need a authorized heating and cooling service expert to fix the leak and restore the correct measurement of refrigerant in your equipment. Get in touch with us at 513-268-5164 for help.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not having enough cool air, there’s probably an obstruction or disconnection somewhere in your AC system.
- The first step is looking at your air filter. Get a new one if it’s filthy.
- Then check the registers are clear throughout your house.
- If you’re still not getting sufficient cold air, you should have your ductwork inspected by a pro like Carefree Heating and Cooling, LLC. Your ducts might need to be serviced or relinked in tricky locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.