Troubleshooting and doing your own AC repair in Palm Coast, Florida, can appear like a lot of hassle.

There’s a better way. There are several quick remedies you can attempt by yourself that might help you get out of an AC service call.

When you’re having air conditioning issues, try this checklist before calling a heating and cooling repair professional like Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists.

Our experts are standing by at 386-313-8766 when you need expert service. We have emergency AC repair and work on most brands of central AC equipment.

If you want to get an up to date air conditioner, we also provide AC installation.

When you’re in contact with us, contemplate a yearly AC maintenance plan that may help you keep clear of future malfunctions. We can advise how often you need air conditioner service.

Ready to get started troubleshooting your system? Try our fast tips below. Many of these procedures don’t require any HVAC knowledge.

Air Conditioner Repair Checklist

1. AC Won’t Turn On

There can be a few causes why your central AC system won’t cool: a tripped circuit breaker, incorrect thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Your system won’t turn on when you have an overloaded breaker.

To determine if one has gotten overloaded, find your house’s main electrical panel. You can find this silver box on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.

  • Ensure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you touch the panel or breakers.
  • Locate the breaker marked “AC” and ensure it’s in the “on” location. If it’s overloaded the breaker will be in the middle or “off” location.
  • Steadily transfer the breaker back to the “on” location. If it immediately triggers again, leave it alone and contact us at 386-313-8766. A fuse that keeps turning off could indicate your house has electrical trouble.

Wrong Thermostat Settings

If your thermostat isn’t telling your air conditioner to start, it won’t turn on.

The most important part is making sure it’s switched to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning might not start running. Or you might have. heated air coming from vents since the heat is on instead.

If you’re using a digital thermostat:

  • Swap out the batteries if the monitor is blank. If the readout is presenting jumbled characters, replace the thermostat.
  • Check the proper program is displaying. If you can’t update it, cancel it by dropping the temperature and hitting the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if the configuration is incorrect.
  • Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees lower than the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t work if the thermostat matches the room’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is set accurately, you should begin getting refreshing air promptly.

If you have a smart thermostat, including ones manufactured by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If you still can’t get it to work, call us at 386-313-8766 for support.

Shut-Down Switch

Your air conditioner usually has a shut-down lever near its outdoor unit. This switch is typically in a metal box hung on your house. If your unit has recently been tuned up, the device may have unintentionally been put in the “off” location.

Overflowing Condensate Drain Pan

Condensate drain pans hold the surplus condensation your air conditioner removes from the air. This pan can be positioned either beneath or in your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a clog or blocked drain, water can build up and initiate a safety feature to stop your unit.

If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the additional water with a formulated pan-cleaning tablet. You can get these tabs at a home improvement or hardware retailer.

If your pan involves a pump, find the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s water in the pan, you could need to replace the pump. Reach us at 386-313-8766 for support.

2. AC Blows Warm Air

If your system is on but not providing cold air, its airflow might be clogged. Or it could not have adequate refrigerant.

Clogged Airflow

Your equipment’s airflow can be decreased by a plugged air filter or filthy condenser.

How to Replace Your Air Filter

A dusty filter can cause a lot of troubles, such as:

  • Lower cooling
  • Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
  • Inconsistent cooling
  • Bigger electricity costs
  • Causing your system to wear out sooner

We propose replacing flat filters monthly, and pleated filters every three months.

If you aren’t sure when you last installed a new one, switch off your AC completely and take out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be situated in a connected filter holder or wall-mounted return air grille.

Tilt the filter up to the light. If you can’t see any light you should replace it.

How to Clean Your Air Conditioning System

Brush, plants and bushes can block your condensing equipment. This could restrict its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and affect your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your equipment running well again.

  1. Switch off power completely at the breaker or outdoor switch.
  2. Remove vegetation debris around the air conditioner. Once you’ve removed all the clutter within a two-foot range, you can use a fine-bristled brush or vacuum to carefully remove dust from the unit’s fins. Kinked fins can also impact efficiency, so you can attempt to reshape them with a dinner knife.
  3. Use a hose nozzle to gingerly clean the fins from inside the system. Be careful to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
  4. Put the top back on and restore the power.

Leaking Refrigerant

When air conditioning systems don’t have sufficient refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from the air.

Here are a couple of flags that your equipment is seeping refrigerant:

  1. It takes an extended amount of time to refresh your home and you’re continually turning down the thermostat.
  2. Air moving through the vents isn’t as cold as it should be.
  3. You’re experiencing hissing or burbling sounds when the air conditioning is on.
  4. Your evaporator coil is iced over on account of having difficulty handling warmth.

Worried your equipment is leaking refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service expert to fix the leak and replenish the right level of refrigerant in your equipment. Call us at 386-313-8766 for assistance.

3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air

When it feels like you’re not getting adequate amounts of cold air, there’s possibly a clog or disconnection somewhere in your AC system.

  • The beginning stage is examining your air filter. Replace it if it’s dusty.
  • Then ensure the vents are open around your rooms.
  • If you’re still not receiving ample chilled air, you should have your ducts examined by a specialist like Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists. Your ductwork may need to be fixed or rejoined in limited space spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.

Request Pro Air Conditioner Repair Now

When you require air conditioning service quickly, contact the HVAC repair experts at Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists at 386-313-8766. We’ll quickly identify the problem when your equipment won’t work or provide enough chilled air.

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