In some countries, survival without air conditioners is not possible. Although air conditioning tends to last somewhere between 10-15 years, depending on several factors, they might give up much sooner. Therefore, if you observe that your air conditioner is not turning on when required, you might need to run a diagnostic check or call in an AC repair service.
The Circuit Breaker Might Be Tripped
Air conditioners are connected to the circuit breaker to prevent it from being damaged in case it overheats or there is electricity fluctuation. Essentially, the circuit breakers are designed to shut off when there is an overload of electricity. However, they save the air conditioning unit from other potentially damaging situations as well.
If you observe that your AC is not turning on, you might want to check the circuit breaker. If it is tripped, you need to switch it on. If the unit fails to turn on, try switching off the circuit breaker and turning on again. If that does not solve the problem, move onto the next step.
Check For A Blown Fuse
A blown fuse will also prevent the air conditioner from turning on. To check the fuses, you need a multimeter to perform a continuity test. You should check all the fuses. If the multimeter beeps, it means that the fuses are working. If a fuse comes out to be faulty, you can easily purchase them from a local hardware store.
Similar to circuit breakers, fuses also prevent the air conditioner from getting damaged. There are a lot of reasons contributing to a blown fuse. Therefore, this is one of the first things you should check if the air conditioning unit fails to turn on.
Clogged Air Filters
Although most homeowners are aware that air filters need to be cleaned, they voluntarily ignore it. This leads to accumulation of dust and debris, making it hard for the unit to breathe. Depending on the weather conditions of your area, you should clean the air filter at least once or twice a week.
However, in case of a clogged air filter, the air conditioner will turn on. But it will not be able to produce sufficient cool air and distribute it properly as well. If you observe that the air flow is making weird noises, you should inspect the air filter.
Dirty Evaporator Coils
Evaporator coils, compressor and condenser etc. are all those components that easily become accumulated with dust. As a result, the components might overheat, reducing the efficiency and overall performance of the unit. Unfortunately, you can’t do anything about it rather than cleaning the evaporator coils periodically.
If the condenser or compressor tends to overheat, it will trip or simply give up. This is why you need to keep such essential components neat and clean.
There Is A Refrigerant Leak
A refrigerant leak is a common occurrence amongst older units. With time, the pipes tend to corrode and the refrigerant tends to escape. In such a case, the unit will not be able to produce cool air and the compressor will be under immense stress and pressure. If you continue to use the unit at this point, the compressor might give up.
Therefore, if you observe that the unit is constantly tripping and not maintaining a constant cool air flow, you need to get its refrigerant level checked. A professional will thoroughly inspect the unit for leaks and other problems.
Thermostat Calibration
Even though newer units feature in-built thermostats but older versions typically do not have one. Therefore, homeowners tend to purchase aftermarket thermostats but ignore its calibration. A thermostat not calibrated properly will fail to turn on the air conditioner.
Therefore, if you have installed an aftermarket thermostat, be sure to get it calibrated. You should leave this to AC technicians as it is neither time-consuming nor expensive.
Final Word
In the end, while some air conditioning issues might be easy to fix, others will require a professional solving them especially when it comes to replacing AC components. If your unit fails to turn on, be sure to run the checks mentioned above. If the problem prevails, you might need an HVAC repair service McLean to perform a thorough checkup.
