When your AC unexpectedly stops working, you shouldn’t lose your cool. AC units that don’t receive maintenance on a regular basis do lots of bizarre things when they begin to age. For instance, they may begin to blow hot air, their air vents may start producing strange noise, or their thermostat may stop functioning. Here are few basic steps you should take when your AC fails.
Don’t Panic
The obvious reaction when your AC stops working is freaking out. However, panicking won’t help you solve the problem at hand. Before reaching for your phone and calling a technician, check out your AC unit to see if you can rectify the problem yourself.
Confirm if Electrical Power to Your House is there
When there is no electrical power, the voltage is low, or your sockets are faulty, your AC unit will fail. Therefore, it is wise to confirm if there is sufficient power and all your electrical outlets are functioning properly.
Look At Your Air Filter
The quality of airflow to your air conditioning unit is critical. Changing air filters on a regular basis is the best way of ensuring the AC is supplying clean, cool air to your house. Air filters that remain unchanged for long traps dust particles that cause malfunctioning of the AC unit.
Check Your Thermostat
At times, a problem with the thermostat may cause your AC to fail. If you have a family or share your house with a friend, it is possible that more than one individual fine-tunes the thermostat in your house to fulfill their comfort level. Thus, if your AC’s thermostat is adjusted regularly, the incorrect program settings can result in your home heating up or cooling down too much. Look at your thermostat to confirm the set temperature. Also, check if the thermostat is set on Cool or Heat. At times, people may accidentally thrust the button to too high or too low when they are trying to switch to auto. Don’t forget to look at the batteries on your AC’s stat. The thermostat may function unreliably, or the settings may fail to work correctly due to worn out batteries.
Check If the Circuit Breaker Has Been Tripped
Open the breaker box and look at the condition of the circuit breaker. If the breaker has been tripped, you should reset the breaker. However, remember that circuit breakers trip usually for safety reasons. If the breaker keeps tripping, you should seek the services of an electrician. Mostly, the problem is in the wiring rather than on the circuit breaker.
Check the Switch on the Indoor AC Unit
The regulations in different locales require an on-off switch to be installed next to the indoor AC unit for safety reasons. When such switches are turned off accidentally, your AC will definitely stop working. Thus, you should confirm if the switch is on whenever your AC stops working.
Look at the Compressor
When your air conditioner compressor fails, your appliance will start producing strange noises, lose cooling capacity and take time to start. Get rid of dirt that may have accumulated on your condenser coils, filters, and supply vents. If your compressor fails to turn on after doing all that, you should consider calling in an AC technician.
There is no point of freaking out when your AC fails to function. Instead, try the above 7 steps to see if you will fire up the unit. If you can’t seem to figure out the problem, you should call a competent technician to help you.
