7 August 2017
 Categories: , Blog

When it comes to heating and cooling, you'll fair far better if you become familiar with common problems that you might face. This way you can troubleshoot the issue before calling a heating and cooling specialist. During summer months, contractors are often booked solid and if something goes wrong with your air conditioner, you may need to wait a few days, or even a week before someone can come out and fix it. You can save yourself time and money if the problem is minor. Here are three issues for you to know about.

Fails to Cool Properly

Turning on your air conditioner and finding that it is blowing out warm, or semi-cool air is a frustrating experience. If this happens to you, there is something you can check before calling your HVAC repairman. Improper cooling can occur for a number of reasons. One common cause is a dirty air filter that reduces air flow. The good news is a dirty air filter is easy to check and replace. The location of the air filter depends on the type of unit. Filters in window AC units are the easiest to find as they're behind the unit door. If you have central air, it can be trickier to find the filter. It's typically in the return air duct. Refer to your manual if necessary. If the filter is clean, then the problem may be the compressor, in which case it's best to call an HVAC specialist. 

Unit Not Working At All

There's nothing worse than turning on the air conditioner on a hot day and having it not turn on at all. This situation can cause panic because you may not know where to start looking for the problem. The best place to start troubleshooting is to make sure the unit is getting electricity. Check your main electrical panel to see if there is a blown fuse, or a tripped breaker. You can easily reset the breaker with a flip of the switch to see if that solves the problem. Then make sure the unit is powered on and the thermostat is set to cool. 

Turns on But Doesn't Blow Air

Another common problem homeowners face is an air conditioner that turns on, but doesn't blow any air at all. This can happen if the blower fan has stopped working. You can check your units blower fan, but if you find that it's not working, you'll need to have a professional remove and replace it. In modern units, the blower is typically mounted inside the air handler. The motor will not run while the door is ajar, for safety reasons. So, locate the motor while the unit is off. Then turn the unit on and listen to see if you hear the blower fan running. If it's not running, or if it is making strange noises, you likely need to have it replaced.