As summer approaches, you’re going to want to ensure your air conditioner is working optimally to stave off the next heat wave. If you’ve turned on your unit to find it not working properly, you’re going to want to check to ensure it’s not an easily fixable problem before you call out the help of an expensive professional. Here are a few culprits to your malfunctioning air conditioner that you can possibly identify and fix yourself before you shell out hundreds of dollars for professional help. Not doing regular check-ups on your unit is one of the many mistakes you’re probably making when it comes to your AC.
Many of the AC’s vital components, by the nature of chemical reactions, do have a limited shelf life so it is important to regularly get an HVAC technician to give your systems a check-up every now and then before these components fail.
If your air conditioner runs but blows hot air...
Check your filters
Dust and dirt are detrimental to the efficiency and performance of your electrical appliance. Filters capture dust before it can travel to your system’s interior components while allowing your HVAC system to better circulate air. According to ENERGY STAR, you should check on the state of your filters on roughly a monthly basis.
First, find where your AC filters are located—this could be by an air duct or even by the furnace. Get the correct-sized filters for your system from your local hardware store. Turn off the power and replace or clean the filter depending on if it’s disposable (cardboard frame) or reusable (metallic frame). Ensure your filter is replaced in the correct direction.
Check your coils
Your air conditioner depends on a set of coils—heating coils and condenser coils- to absorb heat within your home and transfer it outside. Dust is an effective insulator, meaning it holds on to heat and prevents it from being moved efficiently. As stated, even a light layer of dust on your coils reduces the efficiency of your AC by capturing the heat that you’re attempting to clear away. Every now and again, it’s important to turn off the unit and go over it with a stiff brush. Also be sure to clear away any debris, shrubbery and dirt on the exterior unit to keep it running optimally.
If your air conditioner doesn’t turn on...
Check the breaker/fuse
Yep, it could be that simple. Whenever any large appliance fails, it could simply be your home’s safety apparatuses kicking in. Save yourself the embarrassment and several hundred dollars and quickly check breaker panel to see if the circuit has been switched off. If it is, sometimes it can simply be switched back on.
If you notice that the appliance repeatedly trips the breaker, check if your circuits are overloaded. This is simply a test of turning on your air conditioner and other appliances plugged into the same circuit one at a time to see how many can run at once. If your AC and other individual appliances run on their own but trips once they’re used simultaneously, then it’s a sign that you just need to run fewer things alongside it. This inconvenience generally seems to be a problem in older households and, apart from adapting to this limitation, a permanent solution will require the help of an electrician to add additional circuits to your home.
If switching on the breaker still doesn’t turn on the circuit, check to see if you’ve blown a fuse. Fuses are glass ampules that contain a wire designed to melt when overheated. When the amperage is too high it breaks the circuit to prevent a fire. Fuse boxes are typically, though not always, found in the utility area by the breaker panel. If you notice a broken, discoloured or cloudy ampule, it’s been blown. First, unplug all electrical appliances on the circuit, as restoring power once the new fuse has been installed risks creating a power surge that will blow it out again. Then turn the power off from the circuit panel to eliminate the risk of shock. From there, just purchase a new fuse from your local hardware store, take the old one with you just to be sure you’re getting an identical replacement and install the new fuse.
However, if you find that running the AC alone trips the breaker, then that indicates a short circuit inside your unit. At risk of fire or electric shock it is not safe to use until repaired by a professional.
Check the thermostat
It’s the job of your thermostat to measure the temperature and signal to your furnace or air conditioner to kick in if it gets below or above a certain threshold. Fortunately, if your thermostat malfunctions, repairs are minor and can easily be fixed by yourself. Sometimes it’s as simple as replacing the backup AA or AAA batteries.
First, turn off power to the thermostat before removing the thermostat face. Despite the low voltage that most (but not all) thermostats use, improper handling can still result in shock. While fiddling with the thermostat, remember to also clear away any dust that has collected on the system, as this also prevents it from functioning properly.
Check the drain line
Finally, the pipe that drains water from the condenser unit may be clogged. This tends to happen overtime, as algae or other gunk is allowed to build up and another safety mechanism kicks in to ensure that water doesn’t flood into the system. Turn off your HVAC system and gather a pair of rubber gloves, bleach and water, a wire brush and a wet-dry vacuum. Locate the drain pipe outside by the condenser unit and— with gloves on—insert the wire brush to dislodge any debris. Be sure to do this on both ends of the pipe (the top end will be a T-shaped PVC with a cap on it). Then, run the wet-dry vacuum on the pipe for a minute or two. Afterwards, mix equal parts bleach and water and pour it through the top of the pipe.
