3 Things to Check Before Calling For Air Conditioning Service

So your air conditioner won’t turn on, and the temperature outside, and in your home, is rising fast. What to do?

Your first instinct should be to call for Immediate appliance repair (and yes, you should!) but before you pick up the phone, be sure to check these three potential causes for air conditioning failure.

1. Check for power
The first thing you should do is make sure that there is power in your home and neighborhood. If your air conditioning unit goes out in the middle of a sunny morning, you may be unaware if you’re actually experiencing a full-blown power outage. Check to make sure other appliances and lighting fixtures are able to turn on in your home.

2. Check the circuit breaker
Also called a fuse box, if the breaker to your HVAC unit has been tripped, just reset the breaker to check if activity will resume to your air conditioner. However, be aware that circuit breakers will usually trip due to safety reasons, so depending on the number of times it trips, you may want to have an electrician come out to take a look. This will help determine if there are any electrical-related issues present.

Similarly, check to see if the batteries in your unit’s thermostat are dead, and change them out if they are. Dead batteries will make it impossible to turn the air conditioning off and off, or adjust any settings.

3. Check the air filters
A dirty or old air filter may be impeding the flow of air to your air conditioning unit, resulting in a less powerful or less cold airflow. Be sure to change air filters regularly in order to ensure optimal efficiency and to avoid future issues.