Troubleshooting Your Central Air Conditioner

HomeSense Team

August 3, 2017

AC Troubleshooting: Fixing the Top 3 Issues

As summer winds down, your air conditioning unit has been working hard for months. Issues may arise in these final weeks of the cooling season. Below are three of the most common problems you may face with your central air conditioner. Should you run into one of these issues, you could save money and time by trying one of these DIY AC troubleshooting and repair techniques:

Issue 1: AC Won’t Turn On

Possible Causes: If you can’t get the air conditioning system to activate at all, then you most likely have a blown circuit breaker or fuse, improperly set or faulty thermostat, or an internal switch being off.

Possible Solutions:

Check that it’s receiving power from the electrical panel
Reset the circuit breaker or replace the fuse
Check your thermostat settings to make sure it’s on “cool” and not set to “off” or “heat”
Check the condensation overflow tray for excessive water (a sensor may turn the unit off if water accumulates)
Check that all switches in and around the air conditioner are set to “on,” including the external safety switch near the condensing unit
Check to make sure the blower door on the air handler is securely closed

Issue 2: AC Runs But Doesn’t Cool

Possible Causes: If you can hear your central air conditioner running but it doesn’t cool well, this could be a result of something blocking airflow anywhere in your system—filters, registers or compressors. Low refrigerant levels could also be the cause—the system needs proper refrigerant levels to remove heat and humidity efficiently.

Possible Solutions:

Check the thermostat to make sure it’s working properly
Take a look at the condenser to see if it’s dirty or blocked—if so, clean it and remove the blockage (the condenser can become blocked by tall weeds, grass, or other airborne debris)
Clean or change your filter (recommended quarterly)
Check if ice has formed on the coils—if so, turn the fan on to melt it
Check and clean the outdoor compressor if needed (faulty compressor or low refrigerant requires professional service)

Issue 3: Poor Airflow

Possible Causes: Poor airflow usually results from a dirty air filter or ductwork that has become blocked, crimped, or disconnected.

Possible Solutions:

Confirm air filter is clean—if dirty, clean or replace the air filter
Inspect all ductwork to make sure it has not become disconnected, including ductwork that may be difficult to reach in your attic, basement or crawl spaces (repair or connect as needed)
Check register dampers on vents in the rooms to make sure they are set to an open position

When to Call a Professional

You can perform basic AC maintenance and troubleshooting on your own. However, if the problem persists after trying these steps, it’s time to call a professional.

Regular maintenance is the best way to prevent AC problems. If you need help with AC troubleshooting, give us a call at 317-203-8149.

Posted in: Cooling

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