If your air conditioning unit suddenly stops working or operating properly, there are many things that you can try to repair on your own before calling a professional service. Keep reading to learn about them.
AC unit won’t turn on
If you can’t activate the air conditioning unit, the most common cause might come from a blown fuse or tripped circuit, or a faulty or improperly set thermostat.
Possible solutions:
Make sure the thermostat is currently set below the room temperature- Ensure your thermostat is in a “cool” mode rather than “heat” or “off” mode
- Examine the circuit breaker for a blown fuse or tripped part. In this case, it is necessary to replace with a new one
- Confirm all switches around and in the AC unit are on an “on” mode
- Examine the condensate tray for excess water
Poor airflow in your rooms
Poor airflows often result from filthy ductwork or air filter which has been disconnected, crimped, or blocked.
Possible solutions:
- Examine the register dampers on the vents to ensure they are completely open
- Visually check all ductwork to ensure it hasn’t become crimped or disconnected. If necessary, you have to connect or air conditioning repair ductwork
- Make sure the air filter is clean. If it is dirty, replace or clean it immediately.
AC unit doesn’t dehumidify because of an oversized system
This issue could be caused by an AC unit which is too large for your home. If the unit has consistently failed to adequately dehumidify with short cycles, the possible cause might be an oversized system. Basically, it could cool the air so quickly that the thermostat will turn the unit off before the humid airflows make its way to the cooling coil to be dehumidified.
Possible solutions:
To deal with this issue, you need to replace the coils and condensing unit with a properly-sized one. Also, you could attempt to enhance the cooling load.
AC unit doesn’t dehumidify with a properly-sized system
Poor dehumidification could also be triggered by excessive humidity, which is the result of open windows, water leaks, or a lack of sufficient condensate drainage. A correctly operating cooling unit will generate condensate and drain it away. So if your system isn’t producing condensate, the dehumidification and cooling functions aren’t working properly.
Possible solutions:
- Include supplemental dehumidification with portable dehumidifiers
- Examine that condensate drainage is still operating correctly
- Make sure all windows are fully closed to prevent humid air from coming into the house
Short compressor cycles
A compressor with short cycles could be caused by an oversized cooling unit, iced coils, leaking refrigerant, or obstructed thermostat.
Possible solutions:
- Make sure the thermostat isn’t obstructed
- Repair any bent fins and clean dirty ones
- Replace or clean a dirty air filter
- Have a professional technician examine the AC unit for refrigerant leaks or an incorrect refrigerant charge
- Replace oversized coils and condensing unit