Troubleshooting and doing your own AC repair in Ballwin and St. Charles, Missouri, can appear like a lot of hassle.

There’s a better way. There are several quick remedies you can attempt by yourself that might help you get out of an AC service call.

When you’re having air conditioning issues, try this checklist before calling a heating and cooling repair professional like Air Alliance Team.

Our experts are standing by at 636-206-4584 when you need expert service. We have emergency AC repair and work on most brands of central AC equipment.

If you want to get an up to date air conditioner, we also provide AC installation.

When you’re in contact with us, contemplate a yearly AC maintenance plan that may help you keep clear of future malfunctions. We can advise how often you need air conditioner service.

Ready to get started troubleshooting your system? Try our fast tips below. Many of these procedures don’t require any HVAC knowledge.

Air Conditioner Repair Checklist

1. AC Won’t Turn On

There can be several reasons why your air conditioning won’t run: a tripped circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.

Overloaded Circuit Breaker

Your air conditioning won’t work when you have an overloaded breaker.

To determine if one has gotten overloaded, locate your house’s main electrical panel. You can locate this metallic device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.

  • Ensure your hands and feet aren’t wet before you touch the panel or breakers.
  • Look for the breaker labeled “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s overloaded the breaker will be in the middle or “off” spot.
  • Steadily shift the switch back to the “on” location. If it instantly trips again, leave it alone and contact us at 636-206-4584. A switch that keeps flipping may indicate your house has an electrical issue.

Inaccurate Thermostat Settings

If your thermostat isn’t telling your air conditioner to work, it won’t turn on.

The most important part is checking it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC may not switch on. Or you may have. heated air moving from vents because the heat is on instead.

If you have a regular thermostat:

  • Swap out the batteries if the screen is empty. If the monitor is showing jumbled letters, get a new thermostat.
  • Check the proper setting is displaying. If you can’t update it, override it by lowering the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if the configuration is wrong.
  • Test setting the thermostat 5 degrees below the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is set the same as the space’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is calibrated properly, you should begin getting cool air quickly.

If you’re using a smart thermostat, like one manufactured by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If it still won’t work, call us at 636-206-4584 for help.

Shut-Off Switch

Your cooling equipment usually has a power-cutting device around its outside unit. This device is typically in a metal box mounted on your residence. If your equipment has recently been worked on, the device may have unintentionally been left in the “off” location.

Clogged Condensate Drain Pan

Condensate drain pans keep the additional liquid your air conditioner removes from the air. This pan can be found either beneath or inside your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a blockage or clogged drain, water can become concentrated and initiate a safety feature to turn off your system.

If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the additional water with a special pan-cleaning capsule. You can get these tabs at a home improvement or hardware retailer.

If your pan has a pump, look for the float switch. If the mechanism is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you could need to get a new pump. Call us at 636-206-4584 for support.

2. AC Blows Warm Air

If your AC is working but not cooling, its airflow could be congested. Or it may not have enough refrigerant.

Obstructed Airflow

Your system’s airflow can be decreased by a plugged air filter or dirty condenser.

How to Put in a New Your Air Filter

A dusty filter can create countless problems, like:

  • Limited airflow
  • Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
  • Inconsistent cooling
  • Bigger utility expenses
  • Causing your system to break down faster

We propose installing new flat filters once a month, and creased filters every three months.

If you aren’t sure when you last installed a new one, shut off your equipment totally and take out the filter. You can locate the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be found in an adjoining filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.

Hold the filter up to the light. If you see a lot of dust you need to buy a new filter.

4 Tips on Cleaning Your Air Conditioning Equipment

Weeds, plants and sticks can obstruct your condensing equipment. This can restrict its airflow, make it less energy efficient and change your comfort. Here’s a way you can get your equipment operating properly again.

  1. Turn off power totally at the breaker or outside switch.
  2. Get rid of yard debris around the air conditioner. Once you’ve gotten rid of larger clutter within a two-foot radius, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to carefully remove dust from the equipment’s fins. Warped fins can also hurt efficiency, so you can attempt to reshape them with a blunt knife.
  3. Use a hose nozzle to gingerly remove gunk off the fins from inside the system. Don’t get liquid on the fan motor.
  4. Install the top again and restore the power.

Not Enough Refrigerant

When AC systems don’t have ample refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your home.

Here are a couple of signs that your unit is seeping refrigerant:

  1. It takes a long time to lower the temperature in your house and you’re continually decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
  2. Air coming through the registers isn’t as chilled as it should be.
  3. You’re hearing fizzing or burbling racket when the air conditioning runs.
  4. Your evaporator coil is frosty due to having an issue absorbing humidity.

Think your equipment is losing refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service professional to repair the leak and restore the proper level of refrigerant in your system. Call us at 636-206-4584 for help.

3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air

When it appears like you’re not having adequate amounts of chilled air, there’s likely a blockage or separation within your air conditioning equipment.

  • The beginning stage is looking at your air filter. Replace it if it’s soiled.
  • Then check the registers are open throughout your home.
  • If you’re still not getting enough chilled air, you should have your ductwork examined by a expert like Air Alliance Team. Your ductwork could need to be serviced or reconnected in hard-to-reach spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.

Request Pro Air Conditioner Repair Now

When you require air conditioning service quickly, contact the HVAC repair experts at Air Alliance Team at 636-206-4584. We’ll quickly identify the problem when your equipment won’t work or provide enough chilled air.

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