Is your air conditioner not starting? Is it not cooling very well? Try a few of the items below before you call for a technician. It may save you a few dollars.
If your Air Conditioner won’t start or run at all, check these things first:
1. Be sure to check the electrical panel fuse to make sure there is power to the unit.
2. Check the outside shut off switch. This switch is usually located next to the air conditioner, itself. Make sure it is in the on position, or that the fuse, in some cases, has been placed back in correctly .
3. Make sure the thermostat is in cooling mode. If it is in cooling mode, set it 5 degrees below the current room temperature and wait for a response.
4. Replace the batteries in your thermostat, if any, just to be sure.
If your Air Conditioner is starting up and running but no cool air is coming out, do this:
1. Turn off the power to the furnace. This can be done at the electrical panel or there may be a switch at the furnace.
2. Clean or change the air filter. Click on this link to see how you can change your filter.
3. Only try the following step if you are confident in what you are doing. Look to see if ice has formed on the coil above the furnace. With the power off, remove the panel to view the coil above the furnace. If you see that the coil is covered in ice, close the panel back up, turn the power ON and the fan ON at your thermostat, to help melt the ice. Wait for the ice to thaw (1-2 hours), run the air conditioner again, and check to see if cold air is coming out of your vents.
4. Look for ice on the air conditioner and refrigerant lines outside. If you find ice, it may be time to call for a technician.
If there is ice either on or around the coil, or outside at the site of the air conditioning unit, there are usually two reasons for this:
1. Reduced air flow. Most of the time this is caused by dirty filters, dirty coils, or poorly working fans.
2. Low refrigerant. This has to be checked by a professional. Low refrigerant could be caused by a leak in your system. Simply adding more refrigerant into your system is usually only a temporary fix. The leak has to be found, fixed, and tested. If the leak is not fixed, and only refrigerant added, the leak will continue to occur.
Call us at Harker Heating & Cooling if you experience any troubles with your air conditioner at 608 255 6902. We’d love to help in any way that we can.
Why won’t my Air Conditioner keep up on those hot, hot days? The truth.
We tend to believe that if we set our thermostat to whatever temperature we desire, the air conditioner will perform as needed. This simply is not the case, however. There is a limit to what your air conditioner can accomplish given the temperature outside. In general terms, air conditioners are designed to accommodate a 15-20 degree difference between the outdoor temperature and the ambient temperature inside. Let’s say it’s 90 degrees outside. You could expect your properly sized system to get your indoor temperature down between 70 and 75 degrees. Don’t forget that humidity can play a role in your comfort, irrespective of the indoor temperature. Purchasing and running a whole home dehumidifier can make that 70 degree plateau feel much cooler than a humid 70 degree environment.
One those really hot days when we can hit the 100 degree mark, cooling a room, let alone your home, below 80 degrees is an unrealistic expectation. Your air conditioner will run all day long trying to reach that low temperature. Having it run that long will be a waste of your money, time, and frustration. What CAN you do to help the situation? Prepare by keeping the blinds/curtains closed all day. Running a ceiling or portable fan in rooms where people or pets are situated can help. Remember that a fan does not cool the air. It only moves it across our skin, which makes us feel cool. If a fan is on in a room with no one present you are simply using up electricity. And, as always, plenty of ice water for you and yours goes a long way in keeping you hydrated and comfortable.
