Air Conditioner Replacement: what to do when your air conditioner stops working

May 28, 2015

Living in coolness in the summer can be taken for granted, particularly until you feel a taste of uneasiness with an air conditioner failure. It can hit at the worst moments; you’re eating lunch and abruptly realize how warm your kitchen feels or you can’t fall asleep at night because you are so hot bound in your covers. Think you’re feeling this discomfort? It might be the moment for an air conditioner replacement.

Usually, it isn’t the thermostat’s fault; the settings can be working appropriately, but it still states that the temperature is beyond 80 degrees. It’s most often caused by an outdated or faulty air conditioner that requires a call to the professionals to find out what’s wrong. There are many causes for why air conditioners fail, especially bearing in mind the weather in Carson City. Here are a couple of things that you can search for before you call Anderson Heating & A/C if you think your air conditioner has quit working:

  • Broken outdoor fan motor: There is a fan motor on your exterior air conditioning system that helps transport the heat from your home to the outdoors. If you scrutinize your system and see that the fan isn’t working, it means that the heat movement isn’t transpiring, causing the warm air to remain in your home. This malfunction can also trigger overheating of the compressor and other possible internal harm to your system.
  • Dirty filters: It’s one of the most common issues that Anderson Heating & A/C sees. These dirty filters in your air conditioner reduce proper airflow, affecting the air quality in your home, which is really difficult when allergy season hits. Dirty air filters can also decrease the efficiency in your home and raise your monthly energy costs.
  • Blocked air flow: Always check for an obstruction or blockage in your return-air or supply-air grille. This can initiate your air conditioner to decrease efficiency and slow down.
    TIP: Make sure the grilles aren’t covered by furniture or other home items, as well.
  • Outside obstructions: Correct air flow could be also hindered from exterior barriers near your system, such as shrubbery, trees, lawn chairs, etc. When the air flow is hindered, it can affect it’s cooling abilities. Make sure that your system is free from obstacles and is cleaned regularly to decrease the chance of air conditioner replacement.

Once you’ve completed these four system checks and your air conditioner still isn’t operating, here are a list of questions and steps that you should look into and answer to get your system up and working again. (Only move on to the next question if the system doesn’t start after doing the step before it):

  1. Is your thermostat temperature programmed below the indoor temperature?
  2. Is your system switch in the COOL position?
  3. Is the outdoor unit power supply switch ON?
  4. Is the furnace/air handler power supply ON?
  5. Is your house fuse box/breaker box ok or has it blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker?
  6. If none of these things change your system operation, call Anderson Heating & A/C at 775-230-7628.

Don’t let an air conditioner breakdown or replacement keep you up at night. If you follow these tips and keep your system under regular maintenance, you should have you air conditioner operating again in no time. Our team at Anderson Heating & A/C in Carson City is always here to assist – give us a call at 775-230-7628.