AC Repair in Sacramento, CA: How to Repair 3 Common Problems

There can be a couple of explanations why your air conditioner won’t cool: a tripped circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.

Your cooling won’t work when you have a tripped breaker.

To find out if one has tripped, find your residence’s main electrical panel. You can find this gray fixture on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.

• Confirm your hands and feet are free of moisture before you check the panel or breakers.
• Look for the breaker marked “AC” and ensure it’s in the “on” position. If it’s tripped the lever will be in the in between or “off” location.
• Steadily move the breaker back to the “on” position. If it instantly flips again, don’t reset it and contact us at 916-591-6889. A breaker that keeps turning off may indicate your home has an electrical issue.

If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your equipment to work, it won’t activate.

The main point is ensuring it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC might not start running. Or you could get. heated air coming from vents since the furnace is on instead.

If you rely on a traditional thermostat:

• Swap out the batteries if the screen is blank. If the monitor is presenting jumbled characters, get a new thermostat.
• Make sure the correct program is displaying. If you can’t update it, reverse it by dropping the temperature and pressing the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if the configuration is wrong.
• Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees cooler than the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t start if the thermostat matches the room’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is calibrated accurately, you should begin getting chilled air promptly.

If you rely on a smart thermostat, like one manufactured by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you’re still having problems, reach us at 916-591-6889 for support.

Your air conditioner usually has a shut-down lever near its outdoor unit. This switch is generally in a metal box hung on your home. If your unit has recently been tuned up, the switch may have unintentionally been put in the “off” location.

Condensate drain pans hold the extra water your AC removes from the air. This pan is located either under or within your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a clog or blocked drain, water can build up and initiate a safety feature to switch off your system.

If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the surplus condensation with a special pan-cleaning capsule. You can buy these tablets at a home improvement or hardware retailer.

If your pan involves a pump, locate the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you may need to replace the pump. Contact us at 916-591-6889 for support.

If your system is on but not cooling, its airflow might be congested. Or it might not have adequate refrigerant.

Your equipment’s airflow can be reduced by a plugged air filter or dusty condenser.

A dirty filter can create numerous problems, like:

• Lower cooling
• Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
• Uneven cooling
• Higher cooling bills
• Making your system break down sooner

We recommend replacing flat filters every four weeks, and creased filters every three months.

If you can’t recall when you last installed a new one, switch off your unit completely and pull out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It might also be located in an adjoining filter box or wall-mounted return air grille.

Angle the filter up to your light fixture. If you see a lot of dust you certainly should get a new one.

Weeds, plants and leaves can get in the way of your condensing equipment. This can restrict its airflow, make it less energy efficient and impact your comfort. Here’s how you can get your unit working properly again.

1. Switch off electricity completely at the breaker or outdoor switch.
2. Clear yard waste around the equipment. Once you’ve gotten rid of larger refuse within a two-foot radius, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to carefully remove dust from the condenser fins. Misshapen fins can also affect efficiency, so you can attempt to reshape them with a dinner knife.
3. Use a hose nozzle to slowly clean the fins from inside the unit. Make sure to avoid getting moisture on the fan motor.
4. Replace the top and restore the power.

When cooling systems don’t have adequate refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your rooms.

Here are several signs that your equipment is leaking refrigerant:

1. It takes too long to refresh your house and you’re regularly lowering the thermostat.
2. Air conditioning blowing through the vents isn’t as cold as it should be.
3. You’re experiencing whistling or bubbling racket when the air conditioning works.
4. Your evaporator coil is frosty on account of having trouble handling heat.

Suspect your equipment is leaking refrigerant? You need a authorized heating and cooling service professional to fix the leak and restore the correct level of refrigerant in your equipment. Reach us at 916-591-6889 for support.

When it feels like you’re not getting adequate amounts of cold air, there’s likely a clog or detachment within your AC unit.

• The first step is looking at your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s dirty.
• Then check the vents are open around your residence.
• If you’re still not experiencing ample chilled air, you should have your ducts examined by a professional like Bishop’s HVAC. Your duct system could need to be serviced or hooked up again in difficult spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.