There is never a good time to have your air conditioner go out on you. That is why Al’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning offers affordable options to repair your air conditioner.
If you are in need of air conditioning repair, you can rest assured that our experienced technicians will diagnose the problem and tell you exactly what needs to be done as part of your A/C repair. The overall diagnostic process entails multiple inspections and tests to your unit, including but not limited to:
- Test electrical systems
- Test run the unit
- Check the refrigerant pressure
- Check the air filter
- Check for mechanical errors
- Ensure the condenser, and evaporator coils, are clear of any dirt or debris
- Check the communication between the thermostat and the unit
- Check duct work for air leaks
Troubleshooting Tips You Can Check Before Calling For Service.
It is not uncommon for your air conditioning unit to be working fine one moment, then begin working poorly or quit. Before you call for service, you can check these items that often don’t require an HVAC Technician to correct.
NO COOL AIR
Recommendation: Take a look at your circuit breaker box for your home, and reset the breaker for your air conditioning unit if it is in the off-position.
Your thermostat may not be correctly set.
Recommendation: Check out your thermostat control to ensure that is set to on for cooling. If not, reset to your desired temperature.
Your indoor AC unit is running, but the outdoor A/C condenser is not.
Recommendation: The air coming out of your vents is warm, double-check that the correct temperature is set on your thermostat. If no change occurs, contact us to have one of our licensed technicians come out and diagnosis and repair your air conditioner. In the meantime, try turning your thermostat to the off position for 1-2 hours to see if your air conditioner unit will reset itself automatically.
Is the outside unit running?
Recommendation: If your outside air conditioner unit is running, your system is likely low on refrigerant. The lower the refrigerant level, the less cool the air coming from the vents will be. Call an HVAC Technician to check for leaks and recharge your A/C.
If the outside unit is not running, there are a couple of things you can check before calling for service. As mentioned earlier, check the circuit breakers for both the furnace and the A/C. Trip each one to off, then back to on to ensure they are on. Many breakers move only slightly when they trip, so they can be off and not look like it.
Note: Tripping the breakers like this will not harm your A/C because it is not running. If you happen to do this while it is running, the A/C will shut itself down for a couple of minutes, then restart. It does this to protect itself.
Check The Thermostat to ensure it is set to “Cool, ” and the fan is set to “Auto.”
Recommendation: It is quite possible the furnace’s fan is blowing (because it is set to “On” instead of “Auto”). The outside a/c unit is not running (because the thermostat is set to “Off” or “Heat” — or set to a temperature warmer than the indoor temperature.
Check the thermostat to ensure the temperature is lower than the indoor temperature. Also, check that the fan is set to “Auto” versus “On.”
A/C IS NOT RUNNING
Thermostat Is Not Working. Are The Batteries Dead?
Recommendation: If the thermostat’s display is no longer showing numbers, replace the batteries for the cooling and heating to work
Thermostat Is Not Working. Has It Been Set To “Heat” or “Off”?
Recommendation: It is possible someone may have turned the HVAC System off because they were too cold. In spring and fall, the system may have been set to heat, and not reset.
NO AIR FLOW
Have you changed your filter recently? If not, it is possible that your filter could be clogged with debris.
Recommendation: Check the filters in each of your system’s components. Clean or replace filters as recommended by your manufacturer. If the problem persists, please contact us to schedule appointment to repair your air conditioner unit.
Did you know a dirty air filter can increase your air conditioning costs by up to 15%? A dirty or blocked filter reduces air-flow throughout the entire HVAC system, causing your central air conditioner to run longer and harder — wasting electricity, reducing your comfort, and shortening the life of the air conditioner unit.
AL’S TIP: Check or change your furnace air filter once each month. If it looks dirty, it is, and it is time to replace it.
Your system may have frozen due to a dirty coil.
Recommendation: Check for signs of water below the Air Conditioner unit and a cold exterior surface of indoor coil enclosure. Please contact us to schedule appointment to repair your AC unit if the problem persists.
UTILITY BILL IS HIGHER THAN NORMAL
If your air conditioner is reaching its correct set point, is it working correctly?
Recommendation: Check the following items: Is your air conditioner cycling constantly? Is your thermostat reaching the originally set temperature? Have you installed any new appliances (e.g., pool heater, refrigerator) that use lots of power? Have you reached out to your electric company to see if they have recently increased pricing (tired of paying high electric bills, if so, contact us today)? If your system is not reaching the desired temperature, please contact one of our technicians will come out to diagnose and if needed repair your air conditioner.
MY SYSTEM IS CONSTANTLY RUNNING
Your system could be trying to reach a set point that is too high.
Recommendation: Check the temperature set point on your thermostat. Is it very low (in summer months) or very high (in winter months)? We recommend first resetting the temperature set point on your thermostat. If that does not work, please contact one of our licensed technicians will come out and diagnose and repair your air conditioner.
DRAIN PAN IS OVERFLOWING
The overflow switch is most likely not functioning properly.
Recommendation: Turn off your Air Conditioner immediately, and contact us and we will have one our certified technicians come to your home and diagnose and if needed repair your system.
SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING
Check any of the above troubleshooting steps above.
Recommendation: If none of the troubleshooting actions above resolved your problem, we highly recommend turning off your Air Conditioner off and contacting us come out to diagnose and repair your system.
CIRCUIT BREAKER HAS TRIPPED
Turn Breaker to off, then back on.
Recommendation: Circuit Breakers stand guard in the event there is something wrong occurring with the electrical system in your home. If a breaker trips, it is an indication that too much electricity was passing through the circuit. The tripped breaker protects your homes’ wiring and nearly eliminates the risk of fire due to an overloaded circuit.
NOTE: When the breaker trips, some will move all the way to the right, but others will move only a little. Trip all A/C & Furnace breakers to off and then back on.
Keep in mind that a breaker trips because there is a problem. If the problem was a one-time thing, the breaker will be fine after it is reset. If it trips again, there is something wrong with the air conditioning unit or furnace, or the breaker itself. Call our team of certified technicians to diagnose and repair the problem.
Common Causes For An Air Conditioner Tripping The Breaker:
- Dirty air filter
- Dirty outside unit
- Compressor has trouble starting (outside unit)
- Motor has shorted (fan motor in outside unit)
- Compressor is grounded (outside unit)
FURNACE BLOWER WON’T RUN
Is the Furnace Shut-Off Switch turned off?
Recommendation: All furnaces have a Shut-Off Switch. If that switch is off, neither the air conditioner or furnace will operate. On a gas furnace, the switch looks like a light switch as is typically attached to the furnace (though may be on a nearby wall). Be sure it is turned on. On an ELECTRIC furnace, the shut off will likely look like a circuit-breaker, or a box on the wall with an on / off handle. It is not unheard of that you might bump this switch while changing a filter, or a child may have turned it off to see what would happen.
A “grounded compressor” means an electrical component inside the compressor has broken and electrical wiring touched the side of the compressor, causing a short, igniting the oil inside the compressor and resulting in a burnout. The circuit breaker will trip due to the sudden current surge. If you reset the breaker, it will trip immediately.
If a grounded compressor is the problem, the compressor must be replaced:
- If the unit is out of warranty, it is less expensive to replace the entire outside a/c unit.
- Replacement compressors are not a stocked replacement item by HVAC repair companies, therefore need to be ordered
Al’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning
Al’s provides Full-Service HVAC System Maintenance, Repair and Replacement Services on all brands of Air Conditioners, Furnaces and Heat Pumps (including Trane and American Standard). We perform every service needed to keep your heating and air conditioning system running at its best.
We sell and install American Standard, Coleman and Ameristar — Air Conditioner unit, Furnace and Heat Pump.
Our HVAC Technicians are NATE (North American Technician Excellence) Certified. They are trained and experienced in providing maintenance and repair of your HVAC System + Installation of new HVAC systems.
Contact Al’s today to discuss any problem you have with your Plumbing or HVAC System. We offer appointments at your convenience & we are also your Emergency Plumber resource, with 24/7 Emergency Service. All our Plumbers are licensed and experienced in diagnosing and repairing your residential plumbing.
We Service And Repair All Brands!
