Troubleshooting and doing your own AC repair in Moline, Illinois, can appear like a lot of hassle.

There’s a better way. There are several quick remedies you can attempt by yourself that might help you get out of an AC service call.

When you’re having air conditioning issues, try this checklist before calling a heating and cooling repair professional like Freed Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our experts are standing by at 309-323-9584 when you need expert service. We have emergency AC repair and work on most brands of central AC equipment.

If you want to get an up to date air conditioner, we also provide AC installation.

When you’re in contact with us, contemplate a yearly AC maintenance plan that may help you keep clear of future malfunctions. We can advise how often you need air conditioner service.

Ready to get started troubleshooting your system? Try our fast tips below. Many of these procedures don’t require any HVAC knowledge.

Air Conditioner Repair Checklist

1. AC Won’t Turn On

There can be a couple of explanations why your air conditioner won’t work: an overloaded circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a switched off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Your air conditioner won’t run when you have a tripped breaker.

To determine if one has blown, find your house’s main electrical panel. You can locate this gray fixture on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.

  • Ensure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you check the panel or breakers.
  • Look for the breaker marked “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s overloaded the breaker will be in the middle or “off” location.
  • Firmly transfer the lever back to the “on” spot. If it instantly flips again, don’t touch it and call us at 309-323-9584. A fuse that keeps flipping might mean your residence has an electrical problem.

Wrong Thermostat Settings

If your thermostat isn’t telling your system to run, it won’t activate.

The most important point is making sure it’s switched to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC might not start running. Or you could get. heated air coming from vents since the heat is running instead.

If you’re using a digital thermostat:

  • Replace the batteries if the monitor is empty. If the readout is showing jumbled numbers, replace the thermostat.
  • Check the correct program is displaying. If you can’t change it, cancel it by lowering the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if programming is incorrect.
  • Test setting the thermostat 5 degrees below the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t start if the thermostat is set the same as the room’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is set properly, you should begin getting refreshing air fast.

If you’re using a smart thermostat, including ones produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If you’re still having problems, call us at 309-323-9584 for support.

Shut-Off Switch

Your air conditioner typically has a shut-off switch near its outside unit. This lever is typically in a metal box mounted on your house. If your equipment has recently been serviced, the switch may have accidentally been placed in the “off” position.

Clogged Condensate Drain Pan

Condensate drain pans keep the extra liquid your air conditioner removes from the air. This pan can be found either beneath or within your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a blockage or clogged drain, water can build up and prompt a safety control to stop your unit.

If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can get rid of the additional water with a custom pan-cleaning tab. You can buy these tabs at a home improvement or hardware retailer.

If your pan has a pump, look for the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you could need to get a new pump. Call us at 309-323-9584 for help.

2. AC Blows Warm Air

If your air conditioner is going but not delivering cold air, its airflow could be congested. Or it could not have enough refrigerant.

Clogged Airflow

Your equipment’s airflow can be decreased by a clogged air filter or dirty condenser.

How to Change Your Air Filter

A filthy filter can create countless issues, including:

  • Limited airflow
  • Frosted refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
  • Uneven cooling
  • Larger electricity costs
  • Making your system wear out faster

We recommend changing flat filters every four weeks, and pleated filters every three months.

If you aren’t sure when you last changed yours, switch off your equipment fully and take out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be found in a connected filter box or wall-mounted return air grille.

Angle the filter up to your light fixture. If you see a lot of dust you should buy a new filter.

4 Steps to Cleaning Your Cooling Unit

Weeds, grass and shrubbery can block your condensing unit. This could limit its airflow, make it less energy efficient and change your comfort. Here’s how you can get your equipment working smoothly again.

  1. Turn off electricity completely at the breaker or outside lever.
  2. Clear greenery waste around the unit. Once you’ve gotten rid of bigger debris within a two-foot space, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to carefully clean the condenser fins. Crooked fins can also impact performance, so you can attempt to straighten them with a blunt knife.
  3. Use a hose nozzle to carefully clean the fins from inside the equipment. Don’t get water on the fan motor.
  4. Install the top again and restore the power.

Not Enough Refrigerant

When cooling systems don’t have sufficient refrigerant, they’ll struggle to remove heat and humidity from your house.

Here are a couple of signs that your equipment is losing refrigerant:

  1. It takes an extended amount of time to lower the temperature in your rooms and you’re continually decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
  2. Cooling blowing through the registers isn’t as cold as it should be.
  3. You’re hearing hissing or bubbling sounds when cooling works.
  4. Your evaporator coil is frosted as a result of having an issue taking on warmth.

Suspect your equipment is leaking refrigerant? You need a authorized heating and cooling service specialist to take care of the leak and restore the correct amount of refrigerant in your unit. Call us at 309-323-9584 for help.

3. AC Not Blowing Enough Air

When it feels like you’re not receiving adequate amounts of cool air, there’s potentially a clog or disconnection somewhere in your air conditioning equipment.

  • The initial place is examining your air filter. Get a new one if it’s soiled.
  • Then make sure the ductwork is open throughout your residence.
  • If you’re still not experiencing ample chilly air, you should have your ducts examined by a specialist like Freed Heating & Air Conditioning. Your duct system might need to be repaired or reconnected in tricky areas like your attic, basement or crawl space.

Request Pro Air Conditioner Repair Now

When you require air conditioning service quickly, contact the HVAC repair experts at Freed Heating & Air Conditioning at 309-323-9584. We’ll quickly identify the problem when your equipment won’t work or provide enough chilled air.

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