When the hot, muggy weather arrives in Indianapolis, a fully-functional air conditioner is essential for your home comfort. Excessively warm, humid periods are when your A/C is under extra strain and more likely to break down unexpectedly. If you’re suddenly faced with a broken air conditioner this cooling season, take these steps:
Perform Basic Troubleshooting
Some air conditioner problems are easy to troubleshoot and fix, like the following:
- Unresponsive thermostat. If your thermostat screen goes blank, replacing the batteries may be all that’s needed to restore its functionality.
- Tripped circuit breaker. If your air conditioner won’t turn on at all, head to your main breaker box to check if the A/C has tripped its breaker. To verify whether it’s working, flip the breaker, reset it and try to start your A/C again.
- Iced-up evaporator coil. If you start feeling warm instead of cool air coming from the registers and the cooling coil has frozen up, check if the air filter is clogged and replace it. Before you attempt to restart your A/C, put a container underneath the coil and allow it to defrost thoroughly.
Get Help From an HVAC Pro
If you can’t fix the problem you’re experiencing, it’s time to call for expert help. An HVAC pro may advise you that your dead thermostat has disconnected wiring, or it needs replacement. An A/C breaker that trips repeatedly may be due to an electrical short circuit, a dirty coil, or a bad breaker or compressor. If the cooling coil freezes up frequently, you may have a refrigerant leak, a blockage in the condensate drain line, or a faulty fan motor.
Stay Comfortable Until Help Arrives
After calling for help, shut down the A/C via the thermostat and try to stay cool until a technician arrives. Close your window blinds/shades to keep the house cooler, and turn on the ceiling fans to increase air movement. Don’t use any appliances that produce heat, like the range and clothes dryer, and drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated.
For help fixing a broken air conditioner, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
