DIY Air Conditioning Repair Checklist
When your AC stops working, you want an air conditioning repair as soon as possible before your home starts heating up. Luckily, some issues have simple fixes you can resolve on your own.
Before calling your local AC repair team for emergency service, run through our checklist below to see whether you can resolve the issue on your own –
1. Check To See Whether Air Is Blowing Through Your Vents
First, check to see whether any air is blowing through your vents, the strength of the flow, and the air temperature.
If you don’t feel any airflow, the unit isn’t operating, and you may have a power issue. If you feel warm air coming from the vents, you may have low refrigerant levels or a leak, requiring professional AC maintenance.
If you feel a weak stream of warm or cool air, you may have an issue with the blower motor or clogged filters. Follow our steps below, then call our team if you cannot resolve the issue.
2. Make Sure Your Thermostat Is Set Correctly and Working
Sometimes, the culprit behind your hot indoor temperature is as simple as accidentally setting your thermostat wrong. You might have unknowingly bumped into the panel and clicked it up a few notches. Make sure it’s on the right setting and working correctly.
Your thermostat may also have power issues. When the thermostat’s battery power runs low, it’s hard to accurately control your home’s temperature. If your thermostat controls aren’t working correctly, try changing the batteries to see whether that fixes the issue.
3. Clean or Change Your AC Filter
Cleaning your air filter is critical to AC maintenance. Built-up debris affects your AC’s performance, reduces your system’s lifespan, and makes the cooling apparatus less energy efficient.
You can see when your filter needs to be replaced based on the amount of debris and dust on the outside. Simply vacuum and wash the filter or replace it with a new one, depending on the type you have. A lack of airflow from a clogged filter can cause your system to ice up, so you should regularly replace or clean filters for optimal performance and peace of mind.
4. Make Sure There Are No Ventilation Blockages
Like the filter, your air conditioner vents need optimal airflow levels to perform correctly. If you have airway blockages, your home won’t receive the cool air from the system, and the system may experience internal problems from the backed-up air.
Check all your vents and registers to ensure you don’t have any blockages causing your issues. For example, you might have furniture or rugs sitting on top of a vent, causing a backup in the system. Freeing up your vent airways could be the answer to your air conditioning repair.
5. Cut the Power and Check Your Electrical Panels
If your system isn’t blowing any air, it may not have power. You might have tripped the circuit breaker, which you can easily fix by resetting your home’s power.
Turn off your power and check your home’s electrical panel for any flipped breakers or other issues. A tripped circuit breaker may occur when you use too many power-consuming appliances at once. You can simply reset the switch to see whether that restores power to your unit.
If this problem recurs, you may need to consider calling an electrician to reconfigure your home’s wiring and electrical loads.
6. Do a Thorough Cleaning of Your Outdoor AC Unit
Outdoor units often become clogged with debris, causing poor system performance. Sometimes, you just need to clean the entire system to get it running properly again. Be sure to turn off the power to the system before beginning any cleaning.
Once the power’s off, clear away any major debris, straighten the unit’s fins, wash the unit, and inspect the condenser coils. You can use a vacuum and garden hose to clean the filter and other critical parts. Use a gentle hand when cleaning and maneuvering all parts, as certain components, like the fins, can easily break. Outdoor unit maintenance can make a big difference in your AC systems’ overall performance.
If You’re Still Having Problems, Schedule an AC Repair
If you completed all of our steps above and your system still doesn’t work properly, you likely need a professional AC repair.
At Cruz Air & Electric in Humble, TX, we will complete a thorough inspection to diagnose your unit’s issue so we can adequately repair it and prevent it from recurring. Call Cruz Air & Electric at 281-446-4272 for expert air conditioning repair service in Humble, TX.
