How to Troubleshoot a Central Air Conditioner
When an air conditioner begins to malfunction or not work properly, it is important to troubleshoot to find the problem. This can avoid a costly replacement of the entire air conditioner, or at the very minimum a repair bill that is very high.
- Check the central line to the air conditioning unit to be sure it is plugged in or there are no malfunctions with the cord. There are many times when the unit has simply been unplugged, and hours have been spent and billed by a technician on finding the problem. This should be the first thing to check before proceeding with anything else.
- Check the circuit switches on the circuit breaker to be sure the switch in in the on position. The switch can be turned to the on position if it has been switched off. Sometimes in rare situations, the circuit breaker switch can turn off by itself. This should be no cause for alarm, unless it happens frequently. It may be a short if this continues to happen.
- Examine the thermostat to determine if this is functioning properly. The temperature should be set to a lower temperature than the house is at to trigger the air conditioner to turn on. If this temperature gage is reading an incorrect temperature in the house, it may not be triggering the air conditioning unit to turn on.
- Look at the condenser that is located inside the main central unit of the air conditioner. This may take a bit of maneuvering to get to, but it is the main unit that is installed by the air condition company that sold the unit. Sometimes the condenser can become clogged, in which case this would require an air conditioning repair specialist.
- Reboot the computerized unit if it is a computer controlled air conditioning unit. Sometimes this can do the trick, and the air conditioning unit can begin to work properly.