subject: Tips on Air Conditioning Repair [print this page] Tips on Air Conditioning Repair Tips on Air Conditioning Repair
Have you ever maintained your air conditioner? Maybe you have never thought about it or only deal with it when something goes wrong. You'll need to consider that no machine runs well without maintenance. A little guidance and education go a long way (oh, and so does your owner's manual!)
Sleeping on the job
Maybe your air conditioner is running but you're not feeling the cooler air. The unit may need to be cleaned. Make sure you're not doing this in the middle of winter, try for a warmer day, but make sure you clean the unit regardless.
Start by tuning off the power to the unit. A disconnect panel located on the exterior wall of your home will do the job. Make sure you shut down the power that is coming from the electrical panel, as this is extremely important for the obvious reasons. Next, grab a rake and get rid of all the debris that has gathered around the outdoor condenser. You'll want to make sure you've trimmed the bushes so that they are not interfering with any airflow.
Take off the protective grills and the grill cover for m the compressor. Make sure that if the fan is attached to the grill that you do not pull out any wires, as these are integral to the survival of your power to the unit. Take a brush and clean off the dirt from the fins, take a vacuum and get the excess dirt and debris. Next, take a hose and aim it to spray the fins while guarding and wires or plastic. You may want to cover them to prevent any water from getting on them.
After putting everything back together and run a test. Flip the thermostat off to on. Make sure you wait around 5 minutes to turn the air conditioner back on, as you could stress the compressor. After you turn it on, let it run and feel the pipes connecting the condenser to the air handlerone should be warm, and one should be cold.
The ON switch
If your air conditioner doesn't turn on make sure your thermostat is set to cool the home, and at a temperature that is below your normal temperature setting. It's electric, and you need to remember thatmake sure you're checking the electrical panel to see if a breaker is tripped. You could be experiencing a blown fuse as well. This could be as simple as replacing a fuse or flipping the switch on a breaker.
Got the power? If this isn't working, make sure you're checking all of your hot spots and that all of them are switched to off, including the exterior condenser's power switch, the disconnect next to the compressor (typically located in a metal electrical box on the wall of the home)make sure this one hasn't been switched off, as it could be causing the problem you are experiencing.
Last, make sure you turn off the power to the air conditioner and re-check the thermostat. Take the thermostat off the wall and unscrew the wire from the Y terminal. This may sound complicated, but then you'll need to turn the power back onmake sure you're holding the wire by its insulation and touch the bare wire end to the R terminal. Keep these two connected holding those together for about two minutes. If you hear the compressor turn on, you'll see that your thermostat is at fault. Make sure you replace it completely or call a professional. If this is not the case, just make sure to put everything back together, and call a technician.
