Simple Central Air Conditioner Repair   

Is your central air conditioner not acting quite right?  Is it not cooling off the house properly or is it just not turning on?  These are very common problems.  You might assume that there is nothing that you can do, that you need to call in a service provider and spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a repair.  While this may or may not be true, there are some things that you can attempt to fix on your own before you call in the professionals.  This can save you a lot of money, if you are able to do the repairs, and will also allow you to begin enjoying a cooler home again before you would have been able to get an air conditioner technician out to your home. 

Central Air Conditioner Repair:  When it Doesn’t Cool 

When your central air conditioner doesn’t cool there may be something that you can do to repair the issue before you call in the professionals.  Start by turning off the power to the unit.  You should locate the shut off or simply shut off the dedicated 240 volt circuit at the main electric panel for the household.  Next, you should rake any leaves and debris away from the condenser that is located outside.  Remove the protective grill and use a soft brush to clean any debris off of the fins.  

Next, unscrew and lift the top grill off of the unit and hose down the finds.  At this point you will need to reassemble the unit.  Turn the unit back on, reset the thermostat and let it run for several minutes and see if the unit gets cold again.  If this doesn’t work, you should call your air conditioning professional to service the unit, although this often does the trick. 

Central Air Conditioner Repair:  Unit Will Not Turn On 

If your air conditioner will not turn on you may as feel you are doomed, but there is one more thing you can try before you call in the big guns.  First, make sure that your thermostat is set to cool.  This is often overlooked!  Also be sure that the temperature is set to a temperature well below the current room temperature.   

If this is appropriately set, check the electrical panel to be sure that a circuit has not been blown or tripped.  Replace the breaker or fuse, if needed.  Next, make sure that the condenser outdoors is switched on.  If all of these things check out, you should take the time to call your technician as there may be a wiring problem that you cannot find on your own.