Air conditioners and HVAC units don’t last forever, their average lifespan is 12 years. On most occasions they fail exactly when you need them the most.
AC doesn’t work?! Air conditioning is all about comfort, so you need to call a technician as soon as possible. But there are some things you can do yourself before you call a pro.
Check the Power
If your air conditioner isn’t turning on, this might be reason of a tripped circuit or a blown fuse. Locate your electrical panel and look to see if any of the switches have moved to the center position.
Make sure your outdoor condensing unit is running. If it is not running, check the breakers in the home’s breaker box or electrical panel to see if they are in the ON position. Check the main power switch for your outdoor unit to make sure it’s in the ON position; You can usually find it within a few feet of the unit in a box mounted to the exterior of the house.
Ensure that the blower motor in your furnace or fan coil is running. If the system is set for cooling, the blower motor should be running. If not, check to make sure your indoor unit switch is in the ON position.
Check the Fan
One way to check whether or not your central air system is getting power is to turn on the fan. It is located right next to the “auto” switch. If you turn on the fan and it starts, you know the blower is getting power. You may still have a thermostat problem or a more serious problem with your air conditioner. If the fan doesn’t start, you might have a blower problem.
Thermostat Troubleshooting
Cleaning the Units and Changing the Filters
On both room and central air conditioner units, make sure the condensation drain is working properly and it is not clogged.
To clean the outside unit, find the electrical box and turn the switch to the “off” position. Then use the water hose spray to clean off loose debris (dust, leaves, etc) on the outside unit. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, you can schedule an air conditioner tune-up today.
On central air units, if the air filter is clogged, the cooling capacity of the air conditioner is reduced. The air filter will be located near your furnace.
As a general rule, you should clean your air conditioner filters within the indoor unit every 30-60 days. In more dusty or polluted environments filters should be cleaned more regularly.
If you have one-inch-thick furnace filters, a once-a-month change is recommended. Two-inch-thick filters – and other high-capacity pleated filters – usually only need to be changed every other month, depending on the type. If you don’t change it, the filter will eventually block the proper airflow and cause your outdoor air conditioner unit to shut down.
Dirty filters reduce your comfort and raise energy consumption to 15% and this costs you more money on bills. If you need a filter replacement, you can contact us or visit our closest location to ask about Filter promotions!
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