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Things to Check Before You Call an A/C Repairman
Many homeowners don't realize there are a few things they themselves can check before they actually call for an Air Conditioning and Heating Repairman.
Taking 5 minutes to check a couple of basic items on your air conditioning and heating system could save you hundreds of dollars in Service Call Fees, Diagnostic Fees, and Repair Costs.
Probably the most overlooked item a homeowner fails to check when their heating and cooling system quits, is the electrical circuit breaker or fuse. Fuses were common back in the early to mid 1900's, but circuit breakers are more prevalent today. Older homes built during the early/mid-1900's may still have a fusebox. Breakers can "trip" and fuses can "blow" for a host of reasons, and don't always signify a real problem. Things such as lightning strikes, power failure, power surges, and short cycling a A/C unit, can cause a "tripped" breaker or "blown" fuse. This will normally lead the homeowner to believe the A/C unit has quit. In reality, the solution is to merely reset the breaker or replace the bad fuse. If a breaker begins "tripping" repeatedly, or a fuse "blows" multiple times, then the homeowner should definitely call a repairman because this would signify a further, possibly more serious, problem.
So how do you tell if a breaker is "tripped", or a fuse is "blown"?
A breaker has two positions in which to operate--one being "on", the other being "off". When the breaker trips, it causes the lever to sit in the middle of the two positions. In addition, some breakers even have an orange warning window that will verify the breaker has tripped. The solution is to move the lever to the "off" position, then move it to the "on" position. This resets the breaker. If there are further problems with your A/C System, the breaker most likely will trip again. At that point, call a A/C Serviceman.
When a fuse "blows", it overloads the metal fuse link that connects the two sides of the fuse. When this happpens, the fuse link will break, thus causing the continuity between the two sides of the fuse to fail. When this happens, no electricity is conducted throught the fuse. The way to properly check a fuse is with an ohm-meter. Since most homeowners don't own an ohm-meter, the most common and safest way for them to test the fuse link, is by replacing the questionable fuse with a brand new fuse. If this solves the problem and your A/C System begins working, great!! If not, you may still need to call an A/C Repairman.
Another A/C component that is most often overlooked by the consumer as causing a problem, is the Air Filter. The Air Filter is not only one of the most important components, it can also cause major problems. When the Air Filter becomes clogged with hair, dust, dirt, debris, etc., it causes the Air Handling Unit to starve for air. When this happens, the Evaporator Coil in the Air Handling Unit will freeze over with ice. Many homeowners have described the coil as an "iceberg" when this happens because the longer the unit runs in this condition, the more ice that will build up on the Evaporator Coil, lineset, and compressor. I've worked on units that had a line of ice built up from the Air Handler all the way outside to the condensing unit.
So how should a homeowner handle this situation?
First of all, if your Evaporator Coil freezes up/ices up, turn the unit to the "off" position. This will stop the compressor from running and will begin the thawing process. I would definitely advise you to place some towels below the Air Handler because when all of the ice begins thawing, it usually makes more water than the drain line can handle. In addition, the drain line could be plugged with ice as well, and not drain at all. Once all of the ice has melted off of the Evaporator Coil, take a look at the Air Filter and see if it is very dirty, stopped up completely, or possibly clean. Be prepared for the filter to be soaking wet due to the ice melting and dripping. If your filter appears to be very dirty or stopped up completely, then chances are, that's what caused your unit to freeze up. If the filter is clean, then you may still have further problems.
The Air Handling Unit freezing up is normally indicative of two problems--blocked air flow such as a dirty Air Filter or Evaporator Coil, or, low Freon. If after you've replaced or cleaned your Air Filter, the Evaporator Coil freezes up again, contact a qualified A/C Technician. If your system is freezing up due to Freon problems, you will definitely need a qualified person to check and diagnose your system.
Reset Switches and Reset Buttons:
Many units have Reset Switches and Reset Buttons that occasionally trip, and can cause A/C and Heating Systems to malfunction. Often times, these Reset Switches are located where the normal homeowner can find, and reset, the switch. If your unit has stopped operating altogether, take a few minutes and look around the Air Handling Unit and the Condensing Unit for Reset Buttons. These are usually red in color and must be pushed to reset.
