Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a couple of reasons why your air conditioner won’t cool: an overloaded circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Your AC won’t run when you have a blown breaker.
To determine if one has tripped, go to your house’s main electrical panel. You can locate this gray box on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Make sure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Find the breaker labeled “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” location. If it’s overloaded, the switch will be in the "off" position.
- Firmly transfer the lever back to the “on” position. If it instantaneously trips again, don’t reset it and get in touch with us at 812-825-8695. A breaker that keeps tripping could signal your residence has electrical trouble.
Incorrect Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t telling your AC to run, it won’t switch on.
The most important step is checking it’s switched to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC might not switch on. You could also have hot air moving from vents since the furnace is running instead.
If you’re using a traditional thermostat:
- Swap out the batteries if the screen is blank. If the screen is showing garbled characters, replace the thermostat.
- Ensure the right setting is on the display. If you can’t change it, override it by lowering the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if programming is not right.
- Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees below the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t work if the thermostat matches the room’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is set accurately, you should begin getting cool air quickly.
If you’re using a smart thermostat, such as one produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, check the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If it still won’t work, call us at 812-825-8695 for support.
Turn-Off Switch
Your AC usually has a power-cutting device around its outdoor unit. This lever is generally in a metal box attached to your residence. If your air conditioner has recently been worked on, the device may have unintentionally been turned off.
Blocked Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans hold the additional condensation your AC removes from the air. This pan can be positioned either below or inside your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or backed up drain, water can become concentrated and initiate a safety feature to switch off your equipment.
If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can get rid of the additional condensation with a custom pan-cleaning tab. You can buy these capsules at a home improvement or hardware retailer.
If your pan involves a pump, locate the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s water in the pan, you may need to get a new pump. Reach us at 812-825-8695 for support.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is going but not providing cold air, its airflow may be obstructed. Or it could not have adequate refrigerant.
Blocked Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be restricted by a clogged air filter or dirty condenser.
How to Change Your Air Filter
A dusty filter can create a lot of issues, like:
- Limited cooling
- Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Inconsistent cooling
- Larger energy expenses
- Making your system wear out sooner
We recommend installing new flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.
If you can’t remember when you last replaced your filter, switch off your equipment completely and pull out the filter. You can find the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be located in a connected filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
Hold the filter up to your light fixture. If you can’t see through it, you certainly should replace it.
How to Clean Your AC Equipment
Greenery, grass and sticks can get in the way of your condensing unit. This can limit its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and change your comfort. Here’s how you can get your system operating properly again.
- Switch off electricity fully at the breaker or outside lever.
- Clear yard waste around the unit. Once you’ve gotten rid of larger refuse within a two-foot radius, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to slowly remove dirt from the condenser fins. Deformed fins can also hurt efficiency.
- Use a hose nozzle to gingerly take off dirt on the fins from inside the system. Be careful to avoid getting water on the fan motor.
- Turn on the power.
Not Enough Refrigerant
When cooling systems don’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have difficulty removing heat and humidity from your residence.
Here are a couple of flags that your unit is seeping refrigerant:
- It takes a long time to refresh your residence and you’re continually turning down the thermostat.
- Air blowing through the vents isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re noticing hissing or bubbling sounds when the air conditioning runs.
- Your evaporator coil is iced over because it’s having an issue absorbing heat.
Worried your unit is leaking refrigerant? You need a certified heating and cooling service expert to fix the leak and replenish the correct level of refrigerant in your equipment. Contact us at 812-825-8695 for support.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it seems like you’re not getting adequate amounts of chilled air, there’s potentially a blockage or disconnection within your AC equipment.
- The initial step is looking at your air filter. Replace it if it’s dirty.
- Make sure the ductwork is open around your home.
- If you’re still not getting sufficient chilly air, you should have your duct system inspected by a professional like Stanford Heating & Cooling. Your ducts could need to be fixed or relinked in difficult areas like your attic, basement or crawl space.