AC Repair in Holbrook, NY: How to Fix 3 Common Troubles

There can be a few reasons why your air conditioner won’t start: a tripped circuit breaker, incorrect thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.

Your air conditioner won’t start when you have a blown breaker.

To see if one has gotten overloaded, locate your home’s main electrical panel. You can spot this silver box on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.

• Make sure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you touch the panel or breakers.
• Find the breaker labeled “AC” and ensure it’s in the “on” position. If it’s triggered the switch will be in the middle or “off” spot.
• Quickly shift the switch back to the “on” spot. If it immediately triggers again, leave it alone and call us at 631-460-5159. A fuse that keeps tripping could indicate your house has an electrical issue.

If your thermostat isn’t telling your system to run, it won’t switch on.

The first part is ensuring it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC may not start running. Or you could get. hot air moving from vents because the heat is on instead.

If you have a digital thermostat:

• Swap out the batteries if the readout is blank. If the readout is showing jumbled numbers, replace the thermostat.
• Check the correct option is displaying. If you can’t update it, reverse it by dropping the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if programming is incorrect.
• Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees below the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is identical to the room’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is adjusted properly, you should receive cold air fast.

If you rely on a smart thermostat, like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, look at the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If it still won’t work, contact us at 631-460-5159 for assistance.

Your cooling equipment typically has a shut-off switch near its outdoor unit. This lever is generally in a metal box hung on your residence. If your unit has recently been maintained, the switch may have accidentally been left in the “off” setting.

Condensate drain pans catch the additional liquid your system removes from the air. This pan can be found either under or in your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a clog or backed up drain, water can become concentrated and prompt a safety control to stop your unit.

If your pan has a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the extra liquid with a custom pan-cleaning tab. You can purchase these tablets at a home improvement or hardware store.

If your pan includes a pump, find the float switch. If the switch is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you might have to install a new pump. Contact us at 631-460-5159 for support.

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

Your unit’s airflow can be reduced by a plugged air filter or dirty condenser.

A dusty filter can lead to many troubles, like:

• Lower cooling
• Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
• Inconsistent cooling
• Bigger cooling costs
• Making your system stop working more quickly

We recommend installing new flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.

If you can’t remember when you last changed yours, turn off your unit totally and remove the filter. You can find the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It could also be located in an adjoining filter holder or wall-mounted return air grille.

Hold the filter up to your light fixture. If you can’t see any light you certainly should buy a new filter.

Brush, plants and sticks can get in the way of your condensing equipment. This can limit its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and change your comfort. Here’s how you can get your unit running smoothly again.

1. Shut off power totally at the breaker or outdoor lever.
2. Get rid of yard waste around the air conditioner. Once you’ve removed bigger debris within a two-foot range, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to gingerly remove dust from the condenser fins. Bent fins can also impact performance, so you can attempt to adjust them with a small knife.
3. Use a hose nozzle to gingerly remove gunk off the fins from inside the equipment. Make sure to avoid getting moisture on the fan motor.
4. Put the top back on and restore the power.

When air conditioning equipment doesn’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll have difficulty removing heat and humidity from your rooms.

Here are several signs that your system is losing refrigerant:

1. It takes a long time to lower the temperature in your house and you’re regularly turning down the thermostat.
2. Air moving through the ducts isn’t as cold as it should be.
3. You’re experiencing hissing or gurgling sounds when cooling works.
4. Your evaporator coil is frosty on account of having difficulty handling humidity.

Worried your unit is seeping refrigerant? You need a certified heating and cooling service specialist to fix the leak and refill the correct amount of refrigerant in your equipment. Call us at 631-460-5159 for support.

When it feels like you’re not receiving adequate amounts of cold air, there’s possibly an obstruction or detachment inside your cooling equipment.

• The initial place is checking your air filter. Replace it if it’s dusty.
• Then check the ductwork is open across your house.
• If you’re still not experiencing adequate chilled air, you should have your ducts inspected by a specialist like Fal-Ken Heating & Cooling Corporation. Your ducts may need to be fixed or rejoined in difficult spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.