Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a few reasons why your central AC system won’t work: a triggered circuit breaker, incorrect thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.
Triggered Circuit Breaker
Your cooling won’t turn on when you have a blown breaker.
To find out if one has tripped, go to your residence’s main electrical panel. You can spot this silver fixture on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet are free of moisture before you check the panel or breakers.
- Locate the breaker identified “AC” and confirm it’s in the “on” location. If it’s triggered, the breaker will be in the "off" position.
- Quickly transfer the breaker back to the “on” spot. If it instantly flips again, leave it alone and call us at 815-410-1128. A breaker that keeps turning off might mean your residence has an electrical issue.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t telling your system to work, it won’t turn on.
The most important part is ensuring it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner will probably not switch on. You might also get hot air coming from vents because the furnace is on instead.
If you’re using a regular thermostat:
- Swap out the batteries if the readout is blank. If the screen is displaying jumbled characters, replace the thermostat.
- Ensure the proper mode is showing. If you can’t change it, reverse it by dropping the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if scheduling is wrong.
- Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees cooler than the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat matches the room’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is set accurately, you should start getting refreshing air promptly.
If you rely on a smart thermostat, including ones produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you still can’t get it to work, call us at 815-410-1128 for assistance.
Shut-Down Switch
Your AC typically has a shut-off lever near its condenser. This lever is generally in a metal box hung on your home. If your air conditioner has recently been maintained, the switch may have accidentally been turned off.
Clogged Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans catch the additional condensation your system removes from the air. This pan can be found either under or within your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or backed up drain, water can build up and trigger a safety feature to turn off your system.
If your pan has a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the additional liquid with a formulated pan-cleaning tab. You can get these tablets at a home improvement or hardware shop.
If your pan involves a pump, find the float switch. If the switch is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you may need to install a new pump. Reach us at 815-410-1128 for assistance.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is working but not cooling, its airflow may be clogged. Or it might not have adequate refrigerant.
Obstructed Airflow
Your unit’s airflow can be decreased by a plugged air filter or filthy condenser.
How to Replace Your Air Filter
A dirty filter can create countless troubles, like:
- Limited cooling
- Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Intermittent cooling
- Higher electricity bills
- Making your system break down sooner
We suggest installing new flat filters monthly, and pleated filters every three months.
If you aren’t sure when you last replaced your filter, turn off your equipment completely and take out the filter. You can find the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It could also be found in an adjoining filter holder or wall-mounted return air grille.
Hold the filter up to the sunshine. If you can’t see any light, you certainly should get a new one.
4 Tips on Cleaning Your Cooling Equipment
Weeds, plants and shrubbery can obstruct your condensing equipment. This may reduce its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and impact your comfort. Here’s a way you can get your equipment running well again.
- Shut off electricity completely at the breaker or outside lever.
- Clear plant waste around the unit. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the clutter within a two-foot area, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to slowly remove dust from the unit’s fins. Deformed fins can also impact performance.
- Use a hose nozzle to gingerly clean the fins from inside the unit. Be careful to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
- Restore the power.
Not Enough Refrigerant
When air conditioning units don’t have sufficient refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your home.
Here are a couple of indications that your system is leaking refrigerant:
- It takes a long time to lower the temperature in your rooms and you’re constantly turning down the thermostat.
- Cooling blowing through the vents isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re hearing whistling or gurgling sounds when the AC works.
- Your evaporator coil is iced over because it’s having difficulty taking on humidity.
Think your equipment is leaking refrigerant? You need a licensed heating and cooling service professional to fix the leak and replenish the proper measurement of refrigerant in your unit. Contact us at 815-410-1128 for support.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it feels like you’re not having adequate amounts of chilled air, there’s likely a blockage or disconnection inside your cooling unit.
- The initial place is checking your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s filthy.
- Make sure the vents are open across your house.
- If you’re still not getting ample chilled air, you should have your duct system examined by a expert like Jett's Heating & Air Inc.. Your ducts could need to be fixed or rejoined in difficult locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.