The spring season in Sparta, NJ brings with it some warmer weather, which reminds us that the weather is only going to get warmer and hopefully the air conditioner works. Your air conditioner is a complex piece of equipment that is used seasonally and requires regular maintenance. If your regular AC maintenance is not kept up, it is likely that you will have a breakdown in your system.
While the maintenance and repairs to your system should be left to a professional, there are some ways that you can gather information to better understand the malfunction.
What to do when your AC won’t turn on
If you turn your air conditioner on and it’s not working properly, here are some things you can try:
- Make sure the thermostat is on cool and that the temperature it is set at is lower than the temperature in the room. While this might seem like common sense, it is a common cause for repairmen to receive calls about a broken air conditioner.
- Check the air filter. If it is dirty, it could be causing the blower to not work right and you won’t have cold air coming out.
- Put your hand up to the floor and ceiling registers. If there is no air coming out, then check to see if the fan inside is working. If the unit inside is not working, check the breakers for the air handler or furnace (your a/c system uses the blower in the furnace to push air through the ducts) and make sure they are on and haven’t tripped.
- If you notice the fan on the condensing unit outside is not running, it is best to turn off the system and call for a service call. Several things could be wrong, perhaps a rodent chewed the wiring inside the unit, the fan motor could have failed, perhaps the capacitor needs to be replaced; one of the various different issues could be the problem.
- If you notice ice has formed on the lines going outside, this is an indication that there is a refrigerant issue. Turn the unit off and call us for a service call. The ice must be melted in order for us to diagnose the problem. Running the unit when low in refrigerant can damage the system.
An air conditioner that is not working when you need it can be stressful – and uncomfortable! Use some of these diagnostic tips to narrow down what the problem might be so you can give the R. Poust Heating & Cooling technicians enough information to get the problem fixed quickly!
