It is of course instinctive for homeowners to automatically contact a repairman when they notice some irregularities with their air conditioner. These irregularities can be a direct result of many underlying causes, but a lot of these problems can be repaired on your own.
Before putting your handy tools away and calling a professional service, consider the following troubleshooting tips first!
The Filters
Try to remember when the last time was that you checked your AC’s air filter? If you don’t remember the last time or have never even once checked your filter, now may be the time to check it and potentially change it. The air conditioning experts at coolearth.com.sg explain that regularly checking the AC filter is especially important for homeowners who have pets, carpets, who smoke, or those with a house near a construction site because all of these things can clog up the air filters in an AC. Air filter problems don’t generally cause an AC to completely shut off, but some air conditioners are designed to turn off if they can’t get adequate airflow.
The Air Vents
It is not uncommon for the air conditioner vents to be turned off by accident. Sometimes, it would appear that the AC works normally, but your house just won’t cool down, and this is when you should check to see if the vent is blocked with boxes, dust, or laundry. It is a really common mistake to make and is often the cause of an AC not working properly. If nothing is blocking the air vents, check to see whether the vents are actually in the “open” position. If the vent is loose, then it may have slipped and moved to the “close” position without you realizing it.
The Power Supply
As silly as it might sound, inadvertently turning off your AC happens far more commonly than you might think. Many of the most common AC issues happen during daylight hours, especially to people who are looking forward to cutting costs by relying on natural lighting during the day. These people may turn their power switches off and forget about it later. If this isn’t the case, check your circuit breaker and see if the circuit for your AC has flipped. It is important to know what you are doing when dealing with any power supplies so be very careful when you are checking the circuit breakers.
The Remote Control
There can be several complicated contributing factors to your AC issues, but sometimes, it can be as simple as changing the batteries in your remote control, especially if the screen doesn’t come on. As well as checking the batteries in the remote, check if there are any settings such as “heat” or “vent” turned on when they should not be. So many of us don’t bother reading the instruction manual when we get a new gadget like an air conditioner, but the reason your AC doesn’t seem to be working may just be that you have it on the wrong setting.
The Outside Unit
It is not uncommon for a condenser unit to be forgotten during your AC system checks. Though often overlooked, the outside unit is an integral part of the system as it is at this point that air flows into your house. Sometimes, using a hose with a spray nozzle to get all the leaves and branch debris out can have your AC working instantly again. The outside unit is designed to be very durable but tries to install it somewhere where it is at least partially protected from the worst of the elements to ensure that it doesn’t get damaged.
Frosted Pipes
We tend to overuse our AC during the hot summer months, and this overuse can cause the pipes to freeze up. If your home’s AC system has this problem, you can thaw out the system for several hours before turning it back on again. However, if the pipes are freezing over and over again, it can be a sign of further damage that needs professional hands. Note that as tempting as it might be, don’t set your thermostat too low as you can freeze the system which causes more complications.
With a little knowledge and some minor checks, you can quite often get your AC working yourself without spending money on professional maintenance or repair. There are, however, some issues that are going to be beyond most amateur handymen, and trying to fix these could end up doing more damage than good. If your AC is still not working after the above checks, it is probably time to contact a professional service.