If your A/C unit isn’t keeping your home as cool as it should be this summer, it’s time to check on your outdoor air conditioning unit.
Many little mishaps may be occurring within your home's air conditioner without you even knowing. In addition to regular maintenance, it’s best to diagnose these small issues as soon as possible in order to prevent bigger (and more expensive) issues in the future.
Warner Service’s list of tips will also keep your home and family comfortable with a healthy air conditioning unit:
Check Your Thermostat
Before you examine your outdoor A/C unit, make sure that your thermostat is working properly inside your home. Even if your unit is in perfect working order, your home can still experience issues with a malfunctioning thermostat.
First, ensure that your thermostat is receiving power. Older thermostats should have a circuit that’s on, and no blown fuses should be visible. On programmable and smart thermostats, ensure that the battery has been changed.
Second, remove the cover and examine the wiring to see if any leads or solder points need repair. Finally, ensure that your thermostat is level for proper calibration. If you need more assistance with diagnosing thermostat issues, check out Troubleshooting Your Thermostat 101.
Basic Unit Maintenance
The next step is to go outside to your air conditioner, and examine the condition of the outer case. If natural debris, like twigs and leaves, are present in the fan and/or excessive dirt is on the side of the unit, clean it up by removing the blockage and hosing down the sides of the unit.
If the evaporator coil is also dirty, use a broom or large brush to clean it. Next, like with older thermostats, double-check that the unit is receiving power. If not, examine your circuit breaker and fuses.
If you need extra help when looking at your circuit breaker, see Explaining Your Circuit Breaker With 7 Easy Questions.
Check A/C Performance
Once you know your air conditioning outside unit is clean and receiving power, turn it on. If your issues have been resolved, you can stop at this step. If not, go back outside and listen to your unit. If it makes strange sounds or is louder than normal, check out Why Is My Air Conditioner Squealing? and Why Is My HVAC Unit Making That Sound?
Check The Positioning Of Your Unit
Another reason your air conditioning unit isn’t functioning properly is because it’s off balance. First, examine the base of the unit. If the foam stabilizer pads are dried or worn out, replace them. These stabilization pads keep the air conditioning unit from vibrating on concrete and wearing out the base, which can lead to balance issues.
If your unit isn’t level and stable on all four corners, try to reposition the unit to stabilize it. If this is too difficult, call a heating and cooling professional to handle it for you.
Call A Professional
At this point, if your unit still isn’t functioning optimally, you can find more tips on 20 Things That Could Be Wrong With Your Air Conditioner.
However, the best option for time, stress, and money is to call a professional, certified HVAC technician. If you’re unsure about the state of your HVAC system after trying these troubleshooting tips, this is the best route to prevent any further damage.
To keep your HVAC system running optimally (no matter the season) and avoid these little air conditioning problems, download Warner Service’s HVAC Maintenance Checklist. Our heating and cooling experts will help you save hundreds of dollars by preventing potential issues:
