Is your home's air conditioner giving you problems? Find ways to diagnose what the problem could possibly be with these helpful tips. 

The Air Conditioner Does Nothing

There are a few reasons why it seems like your air conditioner is not doing anything. Start by looking at the circuit breaker in your home, since it is possible that the air conditioner tripped the circuit and it has to be manually turned back on. This should not happen under normal circumstances, so it's worth contacting an HVAC professional if it happens frequently. 

You'll also want to investigate the thermostat settings, since something may not be right with how the air conditioner is set. For example, you may have set the thermostat to heat mode, but adjusted the temperatures for cooling. You also may have a household member that adjusted the thermostat without telling you.

There is also a safety switch for your air conditioner that can shut the whole thing down if something is wrong. For example, a condensation pan has a float in it and it will shut down the air conditioner if there is a clog and water is about to overflow onto your floor. 

The Outdoor Compressor Isn't Running

There are a different set of ways to troubleshoot a problem when the outdoor compressing isn't working. Check the disconnect box outside your home that provides power to the compressor. This can manually turn the unit on and off, and have a safety switch that can be tripped as well. 

You should also investigate the wiring going to the compressor. The unit is outside, and you never know what kind of animals may cause damage to the wire. All it takes is a squire to pull on the wires going into the air conditioner to cause it to become disconnected. 

The Air Conditioner Produces Hot Air

Hot air can usually be narrowed down to a few reasons. Look at the evaporator coil in the unit and see if it has ice on it. This means that the coils are either very dirty and having trouble extracting heat, or that there is not enough refrigerant in the system. If the problem is due to the refrigerant, you likely have a leak somewhere in the system that needs to be found and repaired. 

Once you determine what is wrong with your home's AC, reach out to a local HVAC contractor to schedule air conditioning repair.