Living in comfort in the summer can be taken for granted, especially until you feel a taste of uneasiness with an air conditioner failure. It can happen at the worst moments; you’re eating lunch and abruptly realize how warm your kitchen feels or you can’t fall asleep at night because you are so toasty enfolded in your covers. Think you’re feeling this discomfort? It might be an occasion for an air conditioner replacement.
More often than not, it isn’t the thermostat’s fault; the settings can be running properly, but it still reads that the temperature is above 80 degrees. It’s most often caused by an old or faulty air conditioner that needs a call to the experts to find out what’s wrong. There are many reasons why air conditioners break down, especially bearing in mind the weather in Manassas. Here are some things that you can examine for before you call Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. if you think your air conditioner has quit working:
- Broken outdoor fan motor: There is a fan motor on your exterior air conditioning system that helps flow the heat from your home to the outdoors. If you examine your system and find that the fan isn’t running, it means that the heat movement isn’t happening, causing the warm air to remain in your home. This malfunction can also initiate overheating of the compressor and other possible internal damage to your system.
- Dirty filters: It’s one of the most familiar problems that Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. sees. These unclean filters in your air conditioner decrease suitable airflow, affecting the air quality in your home, which is really difficult when allergy season strikes. Unclean air filters can also lower the efficiency in your home and increase your monthly energy costs.
- Blocked air flow: Always look for an obstruction or blockage in your return-air or supply-air grille. This can set off your air conditioner to waste efficiency and slow down.
TIP: Make sure the grilles aren’t hidden by furniture or other home items, too. - Outside obstructions: Proper air flow could be also deterred from outside blockages close to your system, such as shrubbery, trees, lawn chairs, etc. When the air flow is altered, it can influence it’s cooling capacities. Make sure that your system is uninhibited by obstacles and is cleaned routinely to reduce the chance of air conditioner replacement.
Once you’ve gone through these four system checks and your air conditioner still isn’t operating, here are a list of questions and additional checks that you should look into and answer to get your system up and working again. (Only move on to the next question if the system doesn’t start after doing the step before it):
- Is your thermostat temperature programmed below the indoor temperature?
- Is your system switch in the COOL spot?
- Is the outdoor unit power supply switch ON?
- Is the furnace/air handler power supply ON?
- Is your house fuse box/breaker box ok or has it blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker?
- If none of these things alter your system function, call Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. at 703-260-1148.
Don’t let an air conditioner malfunction or replacement keep you restless at night. If you follow these tips and keep your system under regular maintenance, you should have you air conditioner running again in no time. Our team at Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. in Manassas is always here to assist – give us a call at 703-260-1148.