Living in coolness in the summer can be taken for granted, especially until you feel a taste of anxiety with an air conditioner failure. It can hit at the worst moments; you’re eating lunch and abruptly feel how warm your kitchen feels or you can’t fall asleep at night because you are so hot enfolded in your covers. Think you’re feeling this uncomfortable feeling? It might be time for an air conditioner replacement.
More often than not, it isn’t the thermostat’s fault; the settings can be operating properly, but it still says that the temperature is above 80 degrees. It’s most often caused by an outdated or faulty air conditioner that requires a call to the professionals to find out what’s wrong. There are many explanations why air conditioners stop working, especially taking into consideration the weather in Pella. Here are a few things that you can look for before you call Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating if you think your air conditioner has quit working:
- Broken outdoor fan motor: There is a fan motor on your external air conditioning system that helps transport the heat from your home to the outdoors. If you scrutinize your system and find that the fan isn’t running, it means that the heat transfer isn’t occurring, causing the warm air to hang around in your home. This problem can also initiate overheating of the compressor and other possible internal destruction to your system.
- Dirty filters: It’s one of the most familiar troubles that Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating sees. These unclean filters in your air conditioner lower proper airflow, affecting the air quality in your home, which is really tricky when allergy season hits. Dirty air filters can also decrease the efficiency in your home and boost your monthly energy costs.
- Blocked air flow: Always search for an obstacle or obstruction in your return-air or supply-air grille. This can set off your air conditioner to lose efficiency and slow down.
TIP: Make sure the grilles aren’t concealed by furniture or other home items, too. - Outside obstructions: Correct air flow could be also slowed down from outdoor blockages near your system, such as shrubbery, trees, lawn chairs, etc. When the air flow is deterred, it can change it’s cooling capabilities. Make sure that your system is uninhibited by obstacles and is cleaned frequently to decrease the possibility of air conditioner replacement.
Once you’ve gone through these four system checks and your air conditioner still isn’t working, here are a list of questions and additional checks that you should inspect and answer to get your system up and running again. (Only move on to the next question if the system doesn’t turn on after doing the step before it):
- Is your thermostat temperature set below the indoor temperature?
- Is your system switch in the COOL position?
- 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 fix your system function, call Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating at 641-628-3621.
Don’t let an air conditioner malfunction or replacement keep you awake at night. If you follow these steps and keep your system under regular maintenance, you should have you air conditioner working again in no time. Our team at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating in Pella is always here to help – give us a call at 641-628-3621.