3 Steps To Follow During An Air Conditioning Emergency
Posted on: 17 July 2023
HVAC trouble often seems to strike at the worst times. Your home's air conditioning system might run fine through a relatively mild spring or early summer, only to stop working during the worst days of a heat wave. Unfortunately, keeping your home cool under these conditions is more than a simple luxury; it may be critical for your health.
When your air conditioner stops working during these critical moments, you must know what to do next. Follow this guide and these three simple steps to determine if your home's air conditioner requires an emergency HVAC service call.
1. Check Your HVAC Filter
If you spend a few minutes looking for air conditioning troubleshooting advice, you'll usually find someone telling you to check your filter. This advice is everywhere for a good reason. Your filter helps to protect your evaporator coil from dust, but a clogged filter can have a major impact on your system. A filter that severely restricts airflow can even cause your evaporator coil to freeze.
When your system stops working suddenly, especially under a heavy load, always start by checking the filter. A dirty filter will usually be fairly obvious, but there's no harm in replacing your filter anyway if you aren't sure. If your evaporator coils froze due to restricted airflow, you may need to wait a whole day or longer before they thaw out.
2. Check Your Breaker
Central air conditioning systems require dedicated circuits to provide sufficient power to run while protecting your home's wiring. When your air conditioner shuts off suddenly and won't turn back on, the breaker should often be the second culprit after the filter. When you find a tripped breaker, you can try resetting it and waiting for the air conditioner to turn on.
However, you should monitor the breaker closely. If it trips again or trips immediately, stop using the system and call an HVAC professional. Older systems may infrequently trip their breakers, especially if a clogged-up air filter overworks the compressor or fan, but constant tripping is a sign of a major problem. In these cases, always contact a professional immediately to resolve the problem.
3. Check for Signs of a Frozen Coil
When the two troubleshooting options don't resolve your issue, your next step should be to check for signs of a frozen evaporator coil. You won't be able to see the coil without opening up your air handler cabinet, but you can look for ice on the refrigerant lines that connect to your outdoor condenser unit. If you see ice, stop using the system immediately.
A frozen evaporator coil that doesn't result from a clogged filter usually indicates a refrigerant leak or restriction in your system. In either case, continuing to run the air conditioner may cause damage to your compressor. If you need your AC up and running immediately to deal with a severe heat wave, you'll need to make an emergency service call to find and resolve the problem.
For more info about 24/7 emergency AC repair, contact a local company.
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