Turning on your air conditioner only for it to not work can be frustrating. It can also lead to your home getting very hot quickly. It is important to know how to do a few fast cooling fixes to get your cool air flowing again. Doing these fast fixes can help you to avoid the wait in getting an HVAC technician out. Be sure when doing your fast cooling fixes, if something is over your head, you need to go ahead and call the HVAC tech out. You never want to get in a situation where you may cause further damage to your unit.
Check Your Condensate Drain
Your air conditioner works by removing the humidity from the air. This works by condensation. So, where does that moisture go? It goes out of your condensation drain hose. The moisture goes through the floor drain and goes either to a drain hooked up to your plumbing system or outside your house. The condensation system is prone to getting blockages due to algae and mold growth.
When this blockage occurs, your AC unit may stop working completely or stop cooling. To address this problem, you can go to your condensation drain line and see if you find a clog. If you do find a clog, you can clean it out with a small screwdriver. If you see a clog but cannot reach it, get a shop vacuum, and try to suction the blockage. After you have removed the blockage, add a cup or two of white vinegar into the pan. This will help to kill the mold buildup and help to prevent any clogs in the future. If you see the clog and cannot remove it, you should call your local HVAC professional to get this complete for you.
Check Your Ductwork
Your central AC system has a main blower that will move cold air through your ductwork. In some cases, the area between the register and the blower can fail. This can be due to age, or the ductwork being damaged by a rodent, or some other issue. If you have cold air blowing from some of your registers, but you do not feel air coming from other registers, it is a sign that something has broken loose. If you can, look under your home to see if the joint has become loose. If you can, reconnect the ductwork and seal with duct tape. If your ductwork has become loose or is cracked, you will need to call an HVAC technician out to fix the problem.
Check the Outside Unit
If your unit has quit cooling, go outside, and look at your compressor unit. If leaves and debris are near the unit, it may not be allowing it to draw in enough air. Check your outside unit to ensure that there is nothing blocking airflow. Ensure that you remove any debris and make sure nothing is sitting on top of the unit to ensure that it functions as it should.
Check the Filter
You should be changing your filter at least every couple of months. If it has been a couple of months, and your air conditioning is not working like it should replace your air filter. When air filters become clogged and dirty, they will not function like they should as they cannot provide sufficient airflow to your machine. If you remove your air filter and see that it is clean, the problem is elsewhere in your system.
Check the Thermostat
Sometimes the cause of your AC system malfunctioning is that the thermostat has been tampered with. Someone in your home may have bumped it accidentally, or a child may have played with it. Make sure that your thermostat is not set to fan. When it is set to fan, the unit will blow air throughout your home, but it will not be cooled air. If you find that your thermostat is set to fan, switch it over to automatic.
Read More: Things To Remember When Buying An Air Conditioning Unit
Clean Your Coils
Your HVAC unit has two sets of coils. The condenser coil is located in the outside compressor, while the indoor coils are known as evaporator coils. These coils can become cluttered with debris, mold, and dust. Once these coils become dirty, your air conditioning unit will function poorly.
If you are comfortable with cleaning the coils yourself, you can do so. It is important to keep in mind that you must be careful when cleaning your coils. If you break one of the coils or anything in the system, you could be looking at a very expensive Air Conditioning repair. If you are uncomfortable cleaning your coils, call your local cooling expert to do them for you.
Doing the tips above may help you get your air conditioning back up and running. However, if your unit is still not running, it imperative that you call a local HVAC technician to come out and address the issue. The longer that you wait to have the problem fixed, the more expensive it can be, and the longer you will have to suffer in the heat. An AC expert will be able to fix your problem quickly so that you can enjoy the cool air.
