Common Air Conditioning Problems and Possible Solutions

What do you do when your air conditioning simply quits working during the sweltering heat of summer? Granted, we've all experienced those rare days when it's simply too hot for the AC to bring the temperature down to a comfortable level no matter how hard it works, but that ought to be an unusual situation. So, you're sitting in a hot house trying to decide what's wrong and if there's anything you can do to fix it right away instead of waiting for an HVAC experts call.

The AC Is Running But Not Producing Cool Air

Sometimes an AC unit just needs a thorough cleaning, which is something you can do on your own by following these simple steps:

• Turn the power off. You can usually find a power switch outdoors next to the compressor. Cut the power at the main electrical panel too.


• Use a rake to remove leaves, branches, and other debris that may have collected around the outdoor condenser. You may also need to trim some branches off bushes if they appear to block the air flow.


• Take off the protective grills and use a soft brush to clear any dirt or stray leaves that have made their way inside. You can also vacuum the inside of the compressor with a brush attachment.


• Replace the grills, reconnect power, and try to run the air conditioning unit. You'll soon know if this fixed the issue!

The AC Simply Will Not Run

There are several items to check before you assume you're unit needs repair or replacement:

• Double check to see if your thermostat is set to cool. Set the temperature well below the typical temperature of your home and see if the AC kicks on in a couple minutes.


• Check the main electrical panel and any secondary panels for blown fuses or tripped breakers. Perhaps too many electrical appliances were running at once causing a breaker to shut down.


• Also check the outdoor power switch located near the outdoor compressor. The furnace power switch should also be on in order for the air conditioning unit to work properly.


• Finally, check your thermostat. It may be measuring the temperature, but failing to communicate with the unit as to when the cool air should come on.

Common Thermostat Issues

If your room temperature varies by about three degrees between the times your AC switches off and then comes back on again, your pump probably isn't cycling efficiently. And if you're experiencing a cooler temperature than the one you've set on the thermostat, you probably need to have it recalibrated. It's also possible that the thermostat was installed in an unusually warm or cold area of the house, so it measures that temperature as opposed to the temperature through the rest of the house.

So, if cleaning your air conditioning unit proves futile, you can't find any blown fuses or tripped breakers, and your thermostat just doesn't seem accurate, it's definitely time to call a professional.