May in Florida may as well be the middle of August for other parts of the country—meaning, it’s already HOT! And we’re using our air conditioners on a daily basis. So if you’ve noticed something wrong with your air conditioner at this point, it’s absolutely a cause for concern. For instance, did you notice a loss of cooling power or lack of cool air coming from your air conditioner?
Obviously, you know this is a problem. You don’t need what essentially is now a fan blowing around warm air in your home. You’ll likely need to call for professional repair, but in the meantime, we’ve shared some insight below into what may be causing this very frustrating issue.
Could It Be Incorrect Thermostat Settings?
This may seem too obvious, but stick with us here. There have been times where HVAC pros will show up for a service call regarding an AC operation issue, only to discover that the system was set to “fan” mode, or the temperature was set too high by someone who either has different cooling preferences or just didn’t correctly set it.
Next, Check Your Circuit Breaker
If you checked the thermostat and that wasn’t the issue, the next step is to look at the circuit breaker that leads to the outdoor unit of your AC system. If the circuit breaker to the indoor unit trips, the fan won’t turn on at all, but if it’s the one for the outdoor unit, the indoor fan and other components will still run—you just won’t have the compressor participating in the refrigerant process that actually allows your air conditioner to cool.
Check to see if any circuits have tripped in your electrical panel. Reset them if so, and see if this solves the problem. If it does, but only temporarily, you may still have an issue so please do give us a call!
What If it’s a Refrigerant Leak?
Then it’s definitely time to call in a pro. There is a common misconception among many homeowners that refrigerant is something that “runs out,” like gasoline from a car. But refrigerant is actually recycled throughout your air conditioner’s lifespan, ideally.
And this refrigerant is vital for an air conditioner to remove heat from the air and provide cooling to your living space. Refrigerant won’t run out, like we said, but it can leak out, and this is a common problem in air conditioners as they age.
When refrigerant levels drop, the AC system can lose its cooling ability. Worse, this places your compressor in danger of overheating and burning out, which is a big repair need and oftentimes a reason to replace the entire air conditioner altogether.
Did a Capacitor Fail?
The electric capacitors are what allow your air conditioner to start, and to run. If the start capacitor fails, then it won’t allow your compressor to do its job. As we mentioned above, the indoor unit can still “run” without your compressor, but it’s just going to serve as a fan and won’t be able to generate cooling. This is another case where you will absolutely need to call in a pro.
Contact North Central Florida Air Conditioning for expert AC repair in Newberry, FL. We’re “Improving Lives by Improving Homes!”
