7 Steps to Take if Your Air Conditioner Stops Working

Living in a place with contaminated air can be a significant cause of health problems. It is therefore essential to always maintain clean air around you. One of the best ways to help you have clean air around you is by using an air conditioner to purify the air. However, these gadgets are made by human beings and may have any technical problems.

Your air conditioner may stop working unexpectedly. This article will give you the steps to take when your air conditioner stops working.

1. Check Your Thermostat

Your thermostat could be the primary reason why your air conditioner is not working when that happens. The first thing to do is to check your thermostat. It may have the wrong program setting of heating instead of cooling. You always need to ensure your program setting is correct. Regularly check your thermostat so that any problem is detected early enough before it worsens. You also need to check the thermostat battery to ensure it has no problem.

2. Check Your Filter

A clogged air filter can interfere with how your AC system works. It may slow it down or make airflow weaker. You need to regularly check your filter to know whether it is clogged or not. If it is blocked, you need to change it and check if the airflow has improved. If the airflow has not improved, there is a possibility that the filter has caused a buildup of dirt in your ducts. That will require it to be professionally cleaned.

3. Check Your Duct Connections

You need to position your duct in a place where it is easily accessible to check if the connections are in good condition or not. You need to ensure the seals are good and no insulation has fallen away. If your home has a duct under the house, you can also detect a problem by seeing holes and disconnected areas. These may have been caused by creatures who use them for their nesting.

4. Check Your Circuit Breaker

It is a rare thing for a circuit breaker to be tripped. But if it appears as if nothing is happening with your unit, then you need to check it to ensure it wasn’t tripped off and it is in the correct position. If it is not correct, flip it back to see if your unit starts back up.

5. Test the Fuses

Many disconnect blocks contain two cartridge fuses. Check them before you proceed with the repair. A blown fuse is a sign of a failing part inside the condensing unit. Therefore don’t just replace the parts without carrying out a proper check, thinking that you have solved the problem. Instead, replace the parts, install new fuses and fire up the unit. If it blows again, call a professional to help and advice you accordingly on what to do. Below is how you can check fuses in the disconnect block:

• Set your multimeter to the lowest ohms scale and touch the red and black leads to the opposite end of each fuse.
• If you get a numerical reading, the fuse is good.
• If you get a zero, a minus symbol or an infinity symbol indicates a blown fuse.

6. Inspect the Inside of the Access Panel

Follow the electrical conduit from the house. That is where you will find the access panel. With the power off, remove and store the access panel retaining screws and remove the panel. Before replacing any parts, check if there are rodents’ nests and any evidence of chewing on the wires and electrical connectors.

If you find broken wires or chewed insulation and can safely handle electrical repairs, discharge the capacitor first. Then repair the wires and clean out the nest. If you are unable to handle it on your own, you can always call a professional service to help out since many of them offer 24/7 emergency AC repair.

7. Replace the Capacitors

All air conditioning service units have at least one capacitor. The capacitor stores electricity and releases it during compressor and condenser fan startup to give both motors extra power. Capacitors degrade slowly with time providing less startup control over time. The capacitors are not that expensive, and you can easily replace them when you sense them losing value.

Conclusion

Air conditioners, just like any other equipment, cannot last long without experiencing any challenge. In case it fails to work, you can take the steps above.

About The Author: Maggie graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in communication and writing. In her spare time, she loves to dance, read, and bake. She also enjoys traveling and scouting out new brunch locations.

Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels