HVAC Not Cooling? Try These Steps First Before Calling Us
Easy HVAC Fixes: Three Super Easy & Three for the DIY Experts
When it comes to HVAC maintenance and repair, most of it requires a pro. But when your HVAC is not cooling properly, sometimes the fix doesn't require an expert. In these cases there are a few common problems that homeowners can solve themselves without an expert's help. Three problems are easily fixed by anyone, and three more are for the do-it-yourself pros.
Easy Fix One: Check Your Breaker
Sometimes your outside or inside unit may be off because of a tripped breaker. The breaker being tripped could indicate a greater problem. If the breaker continue to trip regularly or trips again as soon as you flip it back on, give us a call. Otherwise, reengage your breaker and your air conditioner should come back on.
Your AC breaker could be in one of a few places. For the inside air handler, the breaker may be near the unit, which means in your HVAC closet or attic. Your outside unit may have a breaker on the outside panel of the home or elsewhere. Simply keep checking all your breaker boxes inside and outside until you find the ones labeled for your AC unit and check if they are tripped or not.
Easy Fix Two: Check Your Filter
Restricted air flow can strain your unit and reduce its effectiveness and result in an HVAC not cooling properly. Restricted air flow has a greater impact than some realize. It can result in your unit freezing up, reduced air output, and even your unit being damaged due to the additional strain. Be sure to keep your filter changed regularly and, if your unit is struggling, check that filter right away. Make sure your filter is clean and that you have the right type of AC filter.
Easy Fix Three: Check Your Thermostat
If your screen is blank, this may or may not be an easy fix. Pop the thermostat cover off and check if it has batteries. If it does, give them a quick change and see if it comes back on. If it doesn't, the thermostat may need to be replaced or there may be a larger problem.
DIY Expert Fix One: Change Your Thermostat
Changing a thermostat can sometimes be a simple enough task. If you can follow the wiring instructions, picking up a solid Honeywell Thermostat at Home Depot or Lowes can save you a little money knocking this repair out yourself. And if you get started on it and just can't quite get it installed or find that doesn't resolve your problem, give us a call. We'll come out and complete the installation for you.
DIY Expert Fix Two: Check Out Your Duct Work
If you're able to safely navigate your attic, checking your duct work is a place to start. Checking the duct is especially important if one room in particular isn't cooling or heating properly, or you feel little to no air coming through a particular vent. It is possible a flex line could have come loose or been damaged.
If in looking at your duct it looks pretty rough, you may want to give us a call. It's one thing to locate a single break and patch it with some silver tape, it's another to replace large sections of duct or the entire system. If the duct work looks to be in poor shape, we'll come out and provide a free estimate for repair or replacement.
DIY Expert Fix Three: Clear & Clean Around the Condensor
Your outside unit should be kept clean. Spraying down the coil with coil cleaner and removing any debris from inside of it can help maintain and improve proper function. For safety, if you are removing debris from inside your outside unit make sure the unit is off.
If These Tips Don't Work, Give Us a Call
If you try these do-it-yourself solutions and are still dealing with an HVAC not cooling, give us a call. Our team is standing by to help with any HVAC repair or replacement you may need. If your HVAC is cooling but not heating, check out some do-it-yourself tasks to fix your heater.
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