Hidden Plumbing Problems: What to Look for

Central Air Conditioner Not Working? Follow These Tips

30 December 2019

Herbert Chambers

Nothing is more stressful than a central air conditioner that is not producing cold air. The unit itself may be a bit of a mystery to you, which is why you'll rush to hire an ac repair service technician to look into the problem for you. However, you may want to follow these tips to see if you can troubleshoot the problem on your own.

Replace The Air Filter

You may be shocked at how many problems can be fixed by simply replacing a dirty air filter. For example, cold air may be collecting in the air handler, which causes the evaporator coil to freeze up. Try changing the air filter and see if that fixes whatever problem you are experiencing. 

Clean The Evaporator Coil

Did changing the filter not cause the ice on the evaporator coil to stop forming? It could be due to the coil being dirty. If dust has collected on the evaporator coil over the years, it is potentially interfering with the parts ability to extract the heat from the air. Try buying an evaporator coil cleaner, which can be sprayed directly onto the coils and help remove the dirt. This may be all you need to do in order to get the air conditioner working again.

Look For Refrigerant Leaks

One problem with an air conditioner that is hard to diagnose without the proper tools is a refrigerant leak. However, you can do some simple investigative work with some soapy water. Simply cover the refrigerant lines going to the outdoor compressor with soapy water, run the air conditioner, and see if it causes bubbles to form on the line. If so, you have a leak in the pipe that is causing refrigerant to escape. Not seeing bubbles doesn't mean that there is not a leak though, since it may be located in another place that is hard to diagnose.

Check Fuse Boxes

If nothing is working at all, you should check any fuse boxes or breaker boxes that can cause the whole system to shut down if tripped. The air conditioner is likely on its own circuit in your fuse box, which may have accidentally been tripped. There may also be a shut down switch on the outside of your home, that may have been flipped by your kids that didn't know what they were doing.

Can't figure out the problem? Now is the time to call an HVAC service for AC repairs to be made.

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