Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a few causes why your air conditioning won’t start: an overloaded circuit breaker, incorrect thermostat settings, a switched off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your air conditioner won’t run when you have a blown breaker.
To find out if one has gotten overloaded, locate your house’s main electrical panel. You can find this metallic box on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet are free of moisture before you touch the panel or breakers.
- Look for the breaker marked “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” position. If it’s overloaded, the lever will be in the in between or “off” location.
- Quickly shift the lever back to the “on” location. If it instantaneously triggers again, leave it alone and contact us at 361-265-4371. A switch that keeps tripping might indicate your residence has electrical trouble.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t telling your AC to run, it won’t activate.
The main point is checking it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning may not turn on. Or you might have hot air coming from vents since the furnace is going instead.
If you have a regular thermostat:
- Replace the batteries if the screen is clear. If the screen is showing garbled letters, get a new thermostat.
- Check the right setting is showing. If you can’t update it, reverse it by decreasing the temperature and hitting the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if the configuration is not right.
- Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees colder than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t start if the thermostat matches the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is adjusted properly, you should start getting chilled air fast.
If you’re using a smart thermostat, such as one manufactured by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for help. If you’re still having problems, contact us at 361-265-4371 for assistance.
Turn-Off Switch
Your system probably has a shut-off device around its outside unit. This switch is generally in a metal box hung on your house. If your AC has recently been serviced, the switch may have accidentally been left in the “off” position.
Clogged Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans catch the extra water your equipment removes from the air. This pan is located either under or within your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or backed up drain, water can become concentrated and initiate a safety setting to turn off your equipment.
If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can get rid of the extra water with a formulated pan-cleaning tab. You can buy these tabs at a home improvement or hardware store.
If your pan has a pump, look for the float switch. If the mechanism is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you might have to get a new pump. Reach us at 361-265-4371 for support.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your system is on but not cooling, its airflow might be blocked. 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 Change Your Air Filter
A dirty filter can cause countless troubles, like:
- Lower comfort
- Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Intermittent cooling
- Bigger energy bills
- Causing your system to wear out faster
We propose replacing flat filters every four weeks, and accordion filters every three months.
If you can’t recall when you last replaced yours, turn off your AC fully and remove the filter. You can locate the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be located in an adjoining filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
Hold the filter up to your light fixture. If you can’t see any light, you should replace it.
How to Clean Your AC Unit
Brush, vegetation and shrubbery can obstruct your condensing system. This can reduce its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and affect your comfort. Here’s how you can get your system working properly again.
- Turn off the electrical current completely at the breaker or outdoor lever.
- Clear yard debris around the unit. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the clutter within a two-foot area, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to slowly clean the condenser fins. Bent fins can also hurt capability, so you can attempt to straighten them with a dinner knife.
- Take off the upper part of your AC and remove any leaves or weeds that has built up. Then wipe off the condenser fan with a damp scrap cloth.
- Use a hose nozzle to slowly take off dirt on the fins from inside the equipment. Be careful to avoid getting moisture on the fan motor.
- Install the top again and turn on the power.
Not Enough Refrigerant
When cooling equipment doesn’t have sufficient refrigerant, they’ll struggle to remove heat and humidity from your residence.
Here are a few flags that your unit is losing refrigerant:
- It takes an extended amount of time to cool your home and you’re continually lowering the thermostat.
- Air conditioning coming through the registers isn’t as chilled as it should be.
- You’re noticing fizzing or burbling sounds when the air conditioning works.
- Your evaporator coil is icy on account of having difficulty taking on humidity.
Think your equipment is losing refrigerant? You need a certified heating and cooling service expert to repair the leak and refill the right level of refrigerant in your system. Get in touch with us at 361-265-4371 for support.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it seems like you’re not getting enough chilled air, there’s potentially an obstruction or separation somewhere in your air conditioning unit.
- The initial place is looking at your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s dirty.
- Then check the registers are open across your house.
- If you’re still not experiencing adequate chilled air, you should have your ducts inspected by a professional like Rescue Heating & Air . Your ductwork might need to be repaired or relinked in limited space areas like your attic, basement or crawl space.