What To Do If Your AC Won't Turn On
Having your air conditioner fail on a hot day can be frustrating, but there are some things you can do to resolve the situation on your own. Here are a few troubleshooting tips you can use before you call your HVAC contractor or plumber for help.
Check Your Thermostat
The first place you should check for signs of trouble is your thermostat. It may have been switched to fan mode, or even worse, to heat. If you have a digital or programmable thermostat, you may also need to check the batteries, as low batteries can sometimes cause the unit to malfunction. If the thermostat is set properly, the issue may be somewhere else in your HVAC system.
Inspect Your Breaker Box
On very hot days when you have your AC on high, you may find that your system will trip the circuit breaker. This will result in a loss of power to the AC and any other electrical components wired to the same breaker. Locate the switch on the breaker box that controls the AC and flip it off and back on again. If it has been tripped, you may notice that it is not completely in the "on" position. Should this not work, there may be another issue to blame. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of checking your breaker box, your HVAC contractor can do this task for you.
Reset The Air Conditioner
In some cases, your air conditioner will shut itself off in an attempt to prevent tripping the circuit breaker. This occurs on units that have a reset button, so it's a good idea to become familiar with how your air conditioner operates. If you do have a reset button, you can simply press the button to cycle the AC back on. For systems that don't have a reset button, you can still reset the system to see if that resolves your problems. You'll need to turn the air conditioning off using your thermostat for this troubleshooting task. Once the system is off, wait a few minutes and turn it back on. You may find that the AC kicks back in for you.
If you are unable to get your air conditioning unit to work using these methods, there may be a more serious problem. You may have an issue with your AC's condenser line, fan, or evaporator that needs attention. Your HVAC contractor or plumber can inspect the system and perform any necessary repairs, so you can get your AC working and cool your home off on those hot, steamy summer days. Visit a site like http://www.bishopplumbing.com for help.