As much as AC companies love and appreciate your business, we don’t want you to pay money for a technician visit to fix something you could have easily fixed yourself. That’s why you should always take five troubleshooting steps when your AC stops working before calling an AC company for repairs.
1. Check All Breakers and Fuses
Sometimes, the cause of an AC breakdown is simply that it doesn’t have power. Before anything else, you should go to your electrical panel and check that the circuit supplying the AC unit is on. If not, flipping the circuit breaker should fix your problem.
2. Check for Clogged or Dirty Filters
Next, ask yourself when you last changed the air filter. If checking it reveals a clogged, dirty filter like the one below on the right, change your air filter and try turning your AC system on again.
3. Check the Outside Unit for Blocked Airflow
If you look at your outdoor unit and there’s any kind of debris blocking the flow of air to the unit, remove it. AC systems rely on proper airflow to work properly, and blocking the air can affect them significantly.
4. Check the Thermostat
While your first instinct may be to blame your AC unit when it isn’t working, the AC system is nothing without the thermostat. Take a look at your thermostat to make sure it’s on and set correctly. If the screen is blank, replace the batteries. If the thermostat is on, make sure it’s set to “cool.”
5. Check the Switch on the Furnace
On or near your furnace, there will be a switch. Make sure it’s switched to “on,” as components of your furnace run all year long.
What comes next?
If none of the above steps fix your air conditioning problem, it’s time to bring in professional help. Follow these steps:
1. Take a deep breath. Remember that everything will be okay. If you’re uncomfortable in your home without AC, consider going to a relative or friend’s house to cool down.
1. Determine the symptoms. Try to pinpoint exactly what your AC isn’t doing correctly, like not blowing any air, blowing hot air, intermittent running, some rooms hotter than others, etc.
2. Call a local AC repair company. The experts at Mission AC are here to help.
If you need AC repair in Houston, count on Mission AC’s licensed, professional technicians to do the job right. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
