What to Do When Your Air Conditioner Stops Working in Your Austin Home

An air conditioner breakdown is quite a nightmare in the scorching summer heat in Austin; an AC repair contractor can be a savior in such a time. Before calling up a repair technician, it can be beneficial if you try to determine the causes of a sudden breakdown. No one wants to wake up sweating, and to avoid this, you must get the air conditioner cleaned and inspected before the hot season starts. An air conditioner stops working due to a variety of reasons, lack of seasonal maintenance, general wear and tear, being an old AC, electrical wiring problems, and so on. Typically, air conditioners stop working or fail due to lack of proper maintenance, and many homeowners avoid seasonal maintenance that leads to bigger problems in the long run. If the air conditioner fails in the midst of the summer, follow a simple checklist to determine its cause.
 

Inspect the air conditioner when it stops working; has it completely stopped, or is it just blowing hot air? Was the air conditioner making noises before failing? You have to keep notice of all these things before you call an AC repair contractor in Austin. You should know what went wrong to be able to explain it to the contractor. Check the fuse and the circuit breaker, reset the breaker, and see if it solves the issue. If it is a blown fuse, the repair technician will replace it. A fuse can blow off due to power surges that are frequent in the summer. Have you cleaned the air conditioner’s filter recently? If the air conditioner blows air that smells foul or it is making noises, the reason may be a dirty air filter. A clogged air filter can make an AC run slowly, and send dirty air inside the house. Replace or clean the filter as indicated on the manufacturer’s manual. A dirty air filter can also cause allergies and other respiratory problems for inhabitants of the home.
 

If the air conditioner stops working suddenly, check the thermostat and make sure it is set at the right temperature, or turn it to the auto position. Replacing the batteries of the thermostat may also help. 

If you have gone through the checklist, and cannot turn the air conditioner back on, switch off the air conditioner, and call up a repair professional. Try other ways to lessen burden on the air conditioning system, such as closing blinds during the day, and protecting windows with a plastic film to prevent sunlight from coming into the house. Insulate the roof and windows to prevent overheating, and use a programmable thermostat to increase energy efficiency and to reduce energy bills. 

Things to Do When Your Air Conditioner Stops Working in Austin

An air conditioner can go on the fritz on the hottest day of the summer when you need it the most, and this is especially true if you have an older unit. Fortunately, many a times, a wrong cooling setting on the unit can make an air conditioner stop working. Also, it may just be the thermostat that has become dysfunctional. Sometimes, simple fixes can get the air conditioner up and running, especially if the system is newer and you have never had any issues with it before. If there is a problem with the thermostat, you need to replace it, if the circuit breaker or fuse has blown; only an AC technician can repair this kind of problem. Basically, the thermostat should have a lower temperature than the room temperature.
 

If the air conditioner is not working, check the circuit breakers for the air conditioner unit. Open up the panel and see if any breakers have tripped. Most homeowners know how to check circuit breaker, so that won’t be an issue. If you are not sure, an AC repair contractor is just a call away in Austin for an AC inspection. If the breaker turns off again after you have switched it on, there is a problem with the electrical wiring, and it needs a professional inspection. Remember, it may not be easy to get help by a professional on severely hot days, as AC technicians have many appointments to take care off, so call up an HVAC company that provides 24-hour emergency service. Problems like these are easily avoidable if you get spring maintenance of the air conditioning unit in your house. Maintenance right before the summer season can help get rid of bigger problems in the peak season.
 

Blocked airflow is another cause of an AC breakdown. Check the outside unit of the air conditioner, and remember that direct sunlight should not hit the outside system. If the outside unit is covered with twigs and shrubs, trim them, turn the AC on and see if it is working again. If water is leaking from the unit, or the air conditioner is making a lot of noise, you need to call up a professional AC technician for inspection and repair. If you have done all of these checks, and still cannot turn on the AC, then only a professional repair technician can solve the problem. Do not run into do it yourself kind of projects, as an air conditioner is a complex machine, and repairing it requires special skills and knowledge that only certified AC technicians possess. Always turn off the power to the air conditioner before changing air filter, or performing any kind of cleaning and inspection work.