Air Conditioner Repair Tips

There are several things a homeowner can and should check before calling a professional air conditioning service company to perform AC repairs. Even if the problem with the unit will ultimately require maintenance by a trained HVAC technician, the effort by the homeowner to investigate the issue will reduce the time the pro needs to conduct on-site diagnosis, increase the likelihood the professional HVAC repairman will bring the correct parts and tools, and give the impression the owner knows something about how air conditioning and heating systems operate -- making it less likely the service company will overcharge you or perform AC repairs that are not required.

AC Repair Tips for Homeowners

Here is a list of things the average homeowner can do to diagnose a problem with a home air conditioner:

1. Check the thermostat to make sure it is set to COOL. You'd be surprised how many times the highly trained HVAC tech gets called out to move the switch from OFF to COOL.
2. Look at the thermostat temperature setting and compare it to the temperature in the room. If it's set lower than the room temperature and the cooling system is not operating, there's a problem. Continue to --
3. Examine the indoor AC unit -- also known as the air handler (that big metal box inside the house where the ducts originate). If your fan isn't running, then see if the fan in your system's heat pump (metal box outside the house) is operating. If neither is running, check the circuit breakers for both the handler and the heat pump.
4. If only the indoor unit's fan is not running, there could be a malfunction in the handler's control board or blower motor. You'll need to bring in a professional who has the proper equipment and parts to make these AC repairs.
5. If only the heat pump's fan isn't running, check for an ice buildup on the two copper refrigerant pipes leading outside the enclosure. This is one of the most common and simple AC repairs -- the coolant in the copper pipes has frozen and can't transfer heat from inside the house. Turn off the heat pump for a few hours (to let the ice melt); then turn it on and see if the air conditioner works now. If so, it may be OK; but if those pipes freeze again, you'll need to call up the AC repair company.
6. If there was no ice buildup on the copper pipes, your air conditioning unit may be low on coolant fluid. Adding coolant is a job for a professional HVAC repairman (required by Federal law), so contact an authorized air conditioner service company that repairs AC systems in your area and have the coolant level checked.

Basic AC repairs can frequently be performed successfully by following the above steps. If the homeowner is able to diagnose the basic problems mentioned above, she's spared herself an HVAC service call and saved a little money. And even if this process resulted in hiring a professional AC repair company, the tests performed will shorten the amount of time it takes the pro to diagnose and fix the air conditioning system -- again saving money.