Troubleshooting an Air Conditioning Unit

• Posted by: Admin

When your air conditioning unit is not working properly, you may find yourself getting into panic mode. This is true because the air conditioning system keeps your home comfortable especially during the hot weather. Whenever your air conditioning system breaks, it may take days or even weeks before a technician can be available to come fix it for you depending on their availability and scheduling. Sometimes your system may be having only minor problem which can be sorted out without technical expertise. There are instances when you can diagnose your system and get it back up and running. This post is designed to walk you through some basic steps on troubleshooting your AC system and dealing with the common problems.

Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks

Check Thermostat Settings

Ensure your thermostat is set on the correct mode. At times, your air conditioner can be fixed with a simple understanding of how to set your thermostat properly. Setting your thermostat wrongly would mean that the air conditioner may not work as you want it to. Sometimes, you may have set your thermostat to heat instead of air conditioning. This means that hot air will be coming out of the vents instead of cool air. This can be uncomfortable especially during a hot summer. Sometimes, people forget to make the switch after the season changes. Always double-check the thermostat before assuming that your unit has problems.

Check The Circuit Breaker

A tripped circuit breaker may be the reason your system is not working. When the circuit breaker connected to your air conditioner trips, you are required to reset it for your system start working again. However, it is always important to let an expert know that it tripped especially if it has tripped more than once as there could be underlying factors making the circuit breaker to trip. For example, your unit may be drawing more current than usual and there are many reasons why your system could be drawing a lot of current. .

Thermostat Batteries

When the batteries inside your thermostat are drained, the thermostat cannot communicate with the air conditioning unit. For this reason, the system would not be able to regulate the temperature in the house as required. If you have not changed the batteries lately, it is a good idea to change the batteries as dead batteries may be the only problem affecting your system.

Set your thermostat to a lower temperature

Setting the thermostat to AC mode and lowering the temperature setting would probably solve your AC problem. If the fan does not run, resetting your furnace breaker and your ac circuit breaker may probably solve the problem.

Filter Replacement

The efficiency of your ac system depends on different factors and the condition of the filter is one of the factors. A filter that is too dirty restricts air flow and the efficiency of the air conditioning unit is affected. Modern air conditioners are affected by dirty air filters due to their extremely high sensitivity. Always remember to change the filter regularly.

Warm Air Leaking Inside

If you are using a window AC unit, make sure that warm air is not leaking inside the house and cold air is not seeping out. Resealing around the unit is important to ensure that the system does not need to work harder than necessary.

Air Vents

Ensuring that the ducts and air vents are clear is an important way of ensuring that the system operates efficiently. Whenever these get clogged by dust or dirt, the air flow efficiency is affected. A simple cleaning procedure of the air vents could solve your AC issue. Some issues in the air ducts like mold and vermin infestation can make your system not to work properly.

Annual Check up

Did you remember the annual checkup of your HVAC system. Having an HVAC technician inspect your system annually can be useful as the technician can catch any serious issue before it escalates. The HVAC professional will check all the system moving parts and the refrigerant and recharge it if required.

When should I contact an HVAC professional?

While there are many things you can do yourself to troubleshoot common problems affecting your air conditioner, there are those things which should always be handled by professionals. Below is a list of the instances when you are required to call a professional to check your system:

• Unusual noises coming from your AC: When your air conditioner is making strange lound, clanging or any unfamiliar noises, it is time to contact a professional. An HVAC technician or professional would understand the reason your system is making such a noise.
• Issues affecting your outdoor unit: Dealing with problems facing your outdoor air conditioner unit can be complex. You should never try to fix it yourself as you may end up breaking the whole unit completely or void your warranty. This is not something you want so always contact a professional for real maintenance issues.
• Improperly installed ac unit: whenever you notice that your air conditioner was not installed properly, always call a professional for a reinstallation.