Living at ease in the summer can be taken for granted, mainly until you encounter a taste of discomfort with an air conditioner breakdown. It can happen at the worst moments; you’re eating lunch and suddenly feel how warm your kitchen feels or you can’t fall asleep at night because you are so warm enfolded in your covers. Think you’re feeling this uncomfortable feeling? It might be the moment for an air conditioner replacement.
Usually, it isn’t the thermostat’s mistake; the settings can be operating appropriately, but it still reads that the temperature is above 80 degrees. It’s most often caused by an outdated or faulty air conditioner that needs a call to the pros to find out what’s wrong. There are many explanations why air conditioners fail, especially considering the weather in Chelan and Wenatchee. Here are a couple of things that you can examine for before you call Lakeside Heating & Air if you think your air conditioner has stopped working:
- Broken outdoor fan motor: There is a fan motor on your outdoor air conditioning system that helps transport the heat from your home to the outdoors. If you scrutinize your system and see that the fan isn’t running, it means that the heat relocation isn’t transpiring, causing the warm air to hang around in your home. This failure can also trigger overheating of the compressor and other potential internal damage to your system.
- Dirty filters: It’s one of the most common troubles that Lakeside Heating & Air sees. These filthy filters in your air conditioner reduce proper airflow, affecting the air quality in your home, which is really difficult when allergy season hits. Filthy air filters can also lower the efficiency in your home and boost your monthly energy costs.
- Blocked air flow: Always search for an barrier or jam in your return-air or supply-air grille. This can initiate 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: Good air flow could be also hindered from outdoor obstructions around your system, such as shrubbery, trees, lawn chairs, etc. When the air flow is altered, it can affect it’s cooling abilities. Make sure that your system is uninhibited by obstacles and is cleaned regularly to reduce the likelihood of air conditioner replacement.
Once you’ve worked 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 check and answer to get your system up and working again. (Only move on to the next question if the system doesn’t switch on after doing the step before it):
- Is your thermostat temperature set below the indoor temperature?
- Is your system switch in the COOL setting?
- Is the outdoor unit power supply switch ON?
- Is the furnace/air handler power supply ON?
- Is your house fuse box/breaker box intact or has it blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker?
- If none of these things change your system function, call Lakeside Heating & Air at 509-284-4265.
Don’t let an air conditioner breakdown or replacement keep you restless at night. If you follow these steps and keep your system under annual maintenance, you should have you air conditioner operating again in no time. Our team at Lakeside Heating & Air in Chelan and Wenatchee is always here to assist – give us a call at 509-284-4265.