When it’s hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk the last thing you need is an air conditioner on the blink. It can happen, though, because the hottest weather is when power systems are stressed and can easily be overloaded. What to do if your AC suddenly stops working? Well, before you call the HVAC service hot-line there are some steps you can take yourself.
The following list includes some of the most common air conditioning repair problems you are likely to face, as well as some advice on when to call in the HVAC repair experts.
- Air conditioner stops, won’t turn back on – First, check that the thermostat is set to cool and that the power switches are turned on. At this point you should also check all fuses and circuit breakers to make sure the home electrical system is working.
- “Funny” noises coming from AC unit – Turn unit off, then go outside to see if fan blades are dirty.
- Unit leaking refrigerant – When the unit is leaking or is low on refrigerant, don’t simply add more refrigerant. This is “call the repairman” time. Your HVAC tech will come out to address the issue, test your unit and make sure it is properly charged with refrigerant.
- Unit is leaking water – It’s likely that the unit isn’t cooling properly and that cooling coil may be freezing over. The problem could be an inadequate air supply or low refrigerant. This will require a tech to diagnose and fix.
- Thermostat disagrees with thermometer – This might be a simple DIY fix; recalibrate and reposition thermostat so that it accurately senses room temperature.
If you are at all uncomfortable performing any of these steps don’t hesitate to call yoru residential HVAC contractor.
