When you are faced with a broken air conditioner, it can be frustrating trying to figure out what is wrong. Repairing your own AC unit may seem intimidating but this guide should help to put your mind at ease. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of how to fix your broken AC system, you should first try identifying the specific problem.
When your air conditioner breaks, the first thing you should do is to turn it off and unplug it. You don’t want to be messing around with live power wires and also, because if something goes wrong and someone has to come out here and fix the problem for you, they won’t have access to a power supply.
Once you have made sure that the power is off, start by checking for any burned-out or broken parts in the system. This could be a burned-out capacitor or perhaps an evaporator that has rusted through. You should also check for any frayed wires or split insulation on your AC’s wiring. After this, you should inspect the outside unit for any signs of rust or corrosion. A broken compressor is hard to fix so it’s a good idea to have that replaced once you have found it.
If none of your AC’s parts are broken, the next step is to check the thermostat itself. If this is not working correctly, then nothing will work at all since your
For any problems with the blower within the unit, this is a little more difficult to fix but you can always check if it turns freely and works fine. Often issues with the blower inside will cause the compressor not to turn on which is what your problem will be if that is indeed your issue.
If you have checked all of these and the problem persists ( in most situations it will be one of these ), then you may need to call in a professional. However, if your AC is not blowing cold air after all of this, but there are no visible signs of damage outside or within, you could have an issue with the refrigerant. This means that either too much or too little has leaked out. There is no way to check yourself so you will need to call in a professional.
When your AC breaks, the first thing is to turn off and unplug it. If you don’t, there could be electricity running through wires, which could be deadly. After that, you should check for any burned-out or broken parts inside of the unit. This could include a capacitor, which is what regulates electricity to your system. Another thing would be the evaporator rusting through. Finally, if nothing is wrong with the system itself, you can turn it back on and inspect the outside unit for rust or corrosion. If you find ice on your AC, it could be a sign of serious rusting or corrosion that needs to be looked at by an expert.
If nothing is wrong with the system itself, then the next step would be to check for frayed wires (which can cause shocks) and broken insulation (which could lead to electrocution). If you find any of these, turn off the power supply to the unit before fixing it. By checking the thermostat itself, you will be able to tell if this is what is causing your AC not to work. If nothing here fixes your problem, then it could be a broken compressor. The most important thing with this is to call in a professional; this is very important because something like this can be dangerous.
If your AC is not blowing cold air after all of the above, but there are no visible signs of damage outside or inside, it could be an issue with the refrigerant. If this is what you suspect (it is with most people) then call in an ac repair professional. This is because you can’t check it yourself, so hiring someone would be the best idea.