AC Broken? What To Check Before You Call A Repair Man

Check the Air Filter

How often do you change your air filters? If you weren’t even aware that they needed changing, this could be your problem. If your AC isn’t blowing out as much air as normal, or you’re finding you need to turn it up higher than usual to get the same effect, your problem may well be down to dirty air filters. Regularly changing these air filters is vital for a healthy AC to provide cool, good quality air around your home. Regular filter changes can also save money in energy bills, as dirty air filters make it harder for the AC to run efficiently.

You may need to change the air filters more often if you use your AC a lot, or you have pets. FilterBuy offer Aprilaire filters, which are designed for Aprilaire AC units or air cleaners, so if you have one of these units then you can find the filters you need on their site. The firm also offers a selection of filters for other top branded units. Luckily, these can easily be changed at home by yourself. If you aren’t sure whether the filter is the issue, try to change it first before reaching for the phone.

Check the Power Source

It may be that the circuit has overloaded and therefore turned off. Checking if your AC’s circuit breaker is the problem is as easy as finding the circuit for the AC and turning it off, waiting a few seconds, and turning it on again. This is usually the reason why an AC stop working during a power surge in your local area, or if there has been any storm activity. If the power is on at the circuit, check the air handler. It may be that the power source isn’t reaching the air handler, even when turned on. 

Check the Thermostat

Your AC may not be running correctly due to the thermostat. Before you do anything else, check that your settings are right for your home. Your partner or children may have been messing with the regular settings and forgot to change them back. Some AC thermostats use batteries, meaning the reason you can’t control your AC unit is down to a simple battery change. Often these thermostats will read “battery” or “batt” when they require a change.

Have you been changing the temperature a lot? Constantly changing the temperature settings like a yoyo can lead to an overheated compressor, stopping the AC from running. It may be that your AC unit is fitted with a time delay circuit, meaning you must wait as the compressor needs time to reset. Simply set the temperature of your system to 78°F and wait around 30 minutes and this should solve your problem. If this is the case, limit changing your settings so often. Sometimes the thermostat doesn’t work due to dust or dirt build-up inside the casing. Use compressed air to get any bits that may be stuck out of your thermostat but be gentle while doing so.

Check Outside

Before giving up and calling a repair man, be sure you have checked outside for anything that may be preventing airflow into the grille. Often, especially in autumn, leaves can get stuck in the grille and this can cause your AC to work much harder for minimal results. Simply clean this area and rid the surroundings of any debris that could cause another blockage in the future.

Check for Condensation

ACs contain a built-in safety feature in the case of a water build-up in the system. The condensate pan usually collects any condensation that has collected within the system and drains this through the drain pipe, which is then deposited outside. If this pipe becomes blocked, the condensate pan will slowly fill with water, at which point a switch will be activated, shutting down the power to the air conditioner until fixed. It may be that you can simply unclog the pipe yourself. You can choose to use items such as bleach or a vinegar solution to get rid of any moldy build-up. You should be cleaning this drain every month to prevent this from happening. Prevention is the key to a healthy AC.

If you have tried everything you can and still can’t find the problem, it may be worth calling a repair man. You should only do as much as you can and if there seems to be a problem you can’t get to, don’t try to fix it yourself, as you could do more damage to the AC.