Air Conditioner Repair Checklist
1. AC Won’t Turn On
There can be a few reasons why your air conditioning system won’t work: a triggered circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a shut off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.
Blown Circuit Breaker
Your air conditioning won’t run when you have a tripped breaker.
To check if one has gotten overloaded, find your residence’s main electrical panel. You can spot this metallic box on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.
- Confirm your hands and feet are free of moisture before you work on the panel or breakers.
- Look for the breaker identified “AC” and confirm it’s in the “on” position. If it’s triggered, the switch will be in the "off" position.
- Firmly transfer the breaker back to the “on” position. If it instantly flips again, don’t reset it and reach us at 717-479-4950. A breaker that keeps turning off could signal your home has an electrical issue.
Inaccurate Thermostat Settings
If your thermostat isn’t signaling your system to work, it won’t switch on.
The first point is checking it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning will probably not turn on. You might also get warm air coming from vents being the furnace is running instead.
If you have a traditional thermostat:
- Put in new batteries if the screen is clear. If the readout is showing scrambled characters, replace the thermostat.
- Ensure the right option is showing. If you can’t update it, reverse it by decreasing the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if scheduling is incorrect.
- Test setting the thermostat 5 degrees cooler than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is identical to the house’s temperature.
Once your thermostat is calibrated correctly, you should begin getting chilled air fast.
If you’re using a smart thermostat, such as one produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you’re still having problems, contact us at 717-479-4950 for support.
Shut-Down Switch
Your air conditioner probably has a shut-down lever around its outdoor unit. This lever is generally in a metal box mounted on your home. If your unit has recently been repaired, the device may have inadvertently been turned off.
Overflowing Condensate Drain Pan 
Condensate drain pans hold the surplus water your equipment removes from the air. This pan can be found either below or in your furnace or air handler.
When there’s a clog or blocked drain, water can become concentrated and trigger a safety setting to switch off your equipment.
If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the surplus water with a special pan-cleaning tab. You can purchase these tabs at a home improvement or hardware store.
If your pan includes a pump, locate the float switch. If the mechanism is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you could need to replace the pump. Call us at 717-479-4950 for help.
2. AC Blows Warm Air
If your equipment is on but not providing cold air, its airflow could be obstructed. Or it could not have enough refrigerant.
Clogged Airflow
Your system’s airflow can be decreased by a plugged air filter or dusty condenser.
How to Replace Your Air Filter
A dirty filter can lead to numerous problems, like:
- Limited cooling
- Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
- Intermittent cooling
- Larger cooling costs
- Making your system stop working sooner
We recommend replacing flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.
If you can’t recall when you last replaced your filter, shut off your system fully and pull out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be situated in a connected filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
Tilt the filter up to the light. If you can’t see through it, you need to replace it.
How to Clean Your Air Conditioning Unit
Weeds, vegetation and shrubbery can obstruct your condensing equipment. This can restrict its airflow, make it less energy efficient and affect your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your unit running smoothly again.
- Shut off power completely at the breaker or outdoor lever.
- Get rid of vegetation debris around the air conditioner. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the clutter within a two-foot radius, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to carefully remove dirt from the equipment’s fins. Crooked fins can also impact efficiency.
- Use a hose nozzle to slowly take off dirt on the fins from inside the equipment. Make sure to avoid getting water on the fan motor.
- Turn the power back on.
Not Enough Refrigerant
When cooling equipment doesn’t have ample refrigerant, they’ll struggle to remove heat and humidity from your space.
Here are a couple of flags that your system is seeping refrigerant:
- It takes a long time to lower the temperature in your residence and you’re continually lowering the thermostat.
- Air conditioning moving through the ducts isn’t as chilly as it should be.
- You’re experiencing hissing or burbling sounds when the air conditioning is on.
- Your evaporator coil is frozen as a result of having an issue handling humidity.
Think your system is leaking refrigerant? You need a certified heating and cooling service expert to fix the leak and restore the right measurement of refrigerant in your unit. Get in touch with us at 717-479-4950 for help.
3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air
When it seems like you’re not receiving enough cool air, there’s probably an obstruction or separation somewhere in your cooling unit.
- The initial place is examining your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s dirty.
- Make sure the vents are open throughout your home.
- If you’re still not getting ample cold air, you should have your ducts inspected by a expert like Ameri-Tec Mechanical. Your duct system could need to be repaired or relinked in hard-to-reach locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.