Air conditioning systems are often put to the test on the first warm day of the spring or summer season. But what are your next steps if your A/C system won't start? If your cooling system fails you, there's no need to panic, but there are steps you can take to check your system for problems that you may be able to fix, before contacting a professional.
We recommend that you try these five actions to get your cooling system working for you when you need it:
Check that your thermostat is set to "cool" and that you’ve lowered the setting to a temperature that is lower than the current room temperature. If working properly, your system will be triggered to cool only when the temperature in the home is higher than the thermostat setting, so you may need to adjust your temperature setting.
Check the circuit breaker for the outdoor unit. Find your electric circuit breaker to make sure it hasn’t tripped. The breaker for your A/C unit should be in the "on" position, the same as the other functioning breakers.
Make sure the electrical switch on the side of the furnace is turned "on." Sometimes the power switch on your furnace gets accidentally turned off in between the heating and cooling seasons. If this is the case, you've found an easy fix to your problem! Just turn the power switch to "on."
Ensure that you have power coming to the furnace. If circuits are working and the power switch is on, next, you need to make sure you have power available. To do this, just turn the fan switch at the thermostat from "auto" to "on." If you hear the blower come on, then you have power to the furnace. If not, you will need to reconnect power. We recommend getting professional assistance with this job.
Still no luck? If none of the previous four actions is successful in re-starting your air conditioning system, step five is to professional to help you get your system back in working order.
In the future, you can ensure that your system is ready to provide home comfort by checking to make sure it's operating properly before you need it when the weather gets warm. Early spring is a great time to perform this type of self-maintenance. Read our related blog post on starting your A/C for the first time for do-it-yourself steps you can take to check your system ahead of summer.
