Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be several explanations why your air conditioner won’t cool: a blown circuit breaker, incorrect thermostat settings, a switched off switch or a full condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your AC won’t work when you have an overloaded breaker.
To find out if one has gotten overloaded, go to your home’s main electrical panel. You can spot this gray device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Make sure your hands and feet are dry before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Find the breaker identified “AC” and ensure it’s in the “on” location. If it’s overloaded, the lever will be in the "off" position.
- Quickly move the breaker back to the “on” spot. If it instantly flips again, leave it alone and contact us at 717-220-4502. A breaker that keeps turning off might mean your residence has an electrical problem.
Incorrect Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your AC to run, it won’t activate.
The most important point is checking it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning might not start running. You could also have heated air coming from vents since the furnace is running instead.
If you’re using a regular thermostat:
- Swap out the batteries if the monitor is empty. If the readout is displaying garbled numbers, buy a new thermostat.
- Make sure the correct option is displaying. 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 not right.
- Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees colder than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is identical to the space’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is calibrated correctly, you should start getting refreshing air fast.
If you have a smart thermostat, like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for help. If it still won’t work, call us at 717-220-4502 for assistance.
Shut-Down Switch
Your cooling equipment usually has a shut-off lever near its outside unit. This lever is generally in a metal box hung on your residence. If your AC has recently been tuned up, the device may have inadvertently been turned off.
Overflowing Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans keep the extra liquid your air conditioner removes from the air. This pan can be situated either beneath or within your furnace or air handler.
When there’s an obstruction or blocked drain, water can build up and prompt a safety setting to stop your equipment.
If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the extra water with a custom pan-cleaning capsule. You can buy these tabs at a home improvement or hardware retailer.
If your pan includes a pump, look for the float switch. If the switch is “up” and there’s water in the pan, you may need to get a new pump. Contact us at 717-220-4502 for assistance.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is working but not providing cold air, its airflow might be congested. Or it might not have enough refrigerant.
Obstructed Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be decreased by a blocked air filter or filthy condenser.
How to Change Your Air Filter
A filthy filter can cause many issues, like:
- Limited comfort
- Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Uneven cooling
- Higher utility bills
- Leading your system to stop working more quickly
We suggest changing flat filters once a month, and pleated filters every three months.
If you can’t recall when you last replaced your filter, shut off your equipment completely and remove the filter. You can locate the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It could also be located in an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
Hold the filter up to your light fixture. If you see a lot of dust, you should buy a new filter.
4 Steps to Cleaning Your AC Unit
Weeds, plants and bushes can block your condensing system. This could restrict its airflow, make it less energy efficient and affect your comfort. Here’s a way you can get your system working smoothly again.
- Shut off power completely at the breaker or external device.
- Remove vegetation debris around the air conditioner. Once you’ve removed all the refuse within a two-foot area, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to gingerly clean the condenser fins. Deformed fins can also hurt performance.
- Use a hose nozzle to carefully clean the fins from inside the unit. Be careful to avoid getting moisture on the fan motor.
- Restore the power.
Low Refrigerant Levels
When air conditioning equipment doesn’t have adequate refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your house.
Here are a couple of flags that your system is seeping refrigerant:
- It takes too long to cool your house and you’re constantly decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
- Cooling moving through the vents isn’t as cold as it should be.
- You’re experiencing whistling or gurgling noises when the AC is on.
- Your evaporator coil is icy due to having difficulty handling warmth.
Think your equipment is losing refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service specialist to take care of the leak and restore the proper level of refrigerant in your system. Get in touch with us at 717-220-4502 for support.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it appears like you’re not getting adequate amounts of cool air, there’s probably a clog or separation somewhere in your air conditioning system.
- The first place is looking at your air filter. Get a new one if it’s dusty.
- Make sure the ductwork is open across your home.
- If you’re still not experiencing enough chilled air, you should have your ducts checked by a expert like H & H Service Company. Your ductwork may need to be fixed or rejoined in tricky spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.