It’s tempting to call for professional help right away when A/C issues develop during the cooling season. The following tips can help you troubleshoot air conditioner problems before making that phone call.
Manual Thermostat Troubles
If the A/C cycles on and off repeatedly and your home won’t get cool enough, it may be that the heat anticipator in your manual thermostat needs adjusting. Remove the thermostat cover, find the anticipator lever arm and move it one calibration mark. If there’s no improvement after making two adjustments, consider upgrading your thermostat to a programmable model.
Condensate Drain Concerns
Pools of water under the A/C and ineffective cooling and humidity control point to problems with the condensate drain or pump. Flushing out the drain to clear out built-up dirt and algae may solve the problem. If it doesn’t, try pouring water into the condensate pan. If it doesn’t drain away, have an HVAC pro test the pump.
Airflow Issues
Airflow restrictions can reduce an A/C’s cooling capabilities, cause air quality problems, increase energy consumption and even damage system components. To help maintain vital airflow, check the air filter once a month and change it whenever necessary. Gently hose down the outdoor cooling coil periodically as well, and keep yard debris and vegetation cleared away around the compressor/condenser unit.
Power Problems
If the A/C won’t come on, look for a tripped breaker in the main electrical panel and for tripped breakers or blown fuses in the blower compartment.
If the weather is extremely hot and the compressor suddenly stops working, resetting the pressure limit switch inside the unit’s access panel may get it running again.
Inaccurate Sizing Symptoms
An air conditioner that runs continuously without reaching the thermostat’s target temperature is probably undersized. Frequent on-off cycling and a sticky, too-warm living space typically indicate an oversized A/C. The only viable solution is having a detailed load calculation performed so you can get a properly-sized A/C installed.
Troubleshoot air conditioner problems, then let the pros at Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating offer more home comfort solutions! Give us a call today at 888-414-4655 to schedule an appointment.
