How to Troubleshoot Malfunctioning Air Conditioning Systems Before Calling on AC Contractors

Few things are worse than having your air conditioning cut out in the middle of the hot summer season. Excessive heat can make it nearly impossible to be comfortable, let alone function properly. With this being the case, it's understandable that most of us automatically reach for the phone to call a repair person when there's an issue with our AC. However, it's worth your time and money to take a few easy steps to troubleshoot AC issues before calling an air conditioner repair professional. If you're still experiencing problems after that, then call in the reinforcements!

A lack of cool air could be a sign of a major problem with your central AC unit, but it could also be caused by a simple glitch that you can fix on your own. Before you call an air conditioning contractor, follow these simple steps to make sure you're not overlooking an obvious solution. First, make sure that your thermostat is set to at least five degrees below room temperature, and that it's set to "cool," not "off." If the AC system doesn't think it's being asked to cool down an area, it won't do it! If you do this and you're still having problems, don't call your air conditioning service just yet. Check to make sure that your system is getting power and that all of the component parts are switched on. Central air units have a number of internal switches, such as the blower compartment door interlock safety switch, the motor overload or overheat switches, and the condensation tray spillage detector switch. If any of these are turned off or have gotten tripped, the system won't work.

If everything with your central air conditioning seems to be set correctly and is turned on, next make sure that all of your vents and registers are open and uncovered. It's easier than you think to accidentally flip a register closed or for someone to mistakenly cover it with a rug or piece of furniture. In these cases, the cool air that would make your home comfortable and pleasant is trying to get out, but is simply being blocked along the way. Fixing that is easy and does not require the help of an AC repair professional. If you've gone through all of these basic steps and aren't comfortable or familiar enough with air conditioning systems to investigate any further, by all means call a service expert. He or she will be able to evaluate and diagnose the issue at hand and will help to get your home back to its cool and comfortable state in no time. If, however, you found that one of the above steps fixed your problem, you'll have saved yourself a chunk of change, and saved your AC pro valuable time and energy.

Air conditioner repair professionals have extensive knowledge and expertise that can be essential in addressing the complex issues that arise when fixing and maintaining central air units. Make the best use of their time and your money, however, by following a few easy troubleshooting steps before you engage air conditioning repair services.