If you're hot and sweaty in your house on a summer day and you feel the air coming out of the duct and it isn't cool, the problem might be something simple. There are a few things to check before you call an air conditioning repair service. If you can't fix the problem, then your AC probably needs repairs. Here's what you can check and what an air conditioning repair service might need to do.
What To Check When Your AC Blows Warm Air
Make sure there is power to the condenser. The fan in the air handler will run, but it can't blow cool air unless the AC outside is working. Check the breaker and flip it on if it tripped. If it flips back off, call an air conditioning repair service because there might be an electrical problem.
While you're outside, make sure there is nothing blocking airflow around the condenser. There needs to be adequate ventilation, so pull out weeds or move things away from the AC to see if that helps. You can also check the air filter indoors to see if it's clogged. Putting in a new filter could fix the problem.
What An AC Repair Technician May Need To Do
The technician may check the air handler first to see if the coil is iced over. If so, they'll thaw out the ice and figure out what caused the ice to form. This can happen due to a clogged filter or low refrigerant.
If the problem isn't with the evaporator coil, the technician may start checking things in the condenser outside. The problem might be due to the condenser overheating. This happens when the condenser fan isn't working due to a bad motor. If the fan isn't working, the air conditioning repair technician can put in a new motor.
The technician may check the compressor too. The compressor is an important part of the refrigeration system, so if it isn't working, your home won't cool down. A compressor is often replaced rather than repaired. The technician may want to uncover why the compressor failed and repair or replace the part that caused the failure so the new compressor doesn't go bad too.
Also, the technician may check the thermostat. If the thermostat is faulty or not set right, the parts in the condenser may not turn on and circulate refrigerant. If a thermostat is bad, the technician might repair it unless it's old and you're ready to get a more modern thermostat that has programming or smart features.
Reach out to an air conditioning repair contractor to learn more.
A few years ago, I could tell that we were having serious furnace problems. In addition to dealing with a house that was constantly too cold or too warm, we were also plagued by a noisy, smelly furnace that seemed to have trouble on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I didn't know enough about furnaces at the time to spot the problems quickly. One day, the entire system died, and it was beyond repair. After having that experience, I learned a lot about HVAC systems, so that I could troubleshoot future systems. This website is all about teaching you what you need to know so that you don't end up in the same situation.