AC Repair in Frederick, MD: How to Fix 3 Common Problems

There can be several reasons why your air conditioner won’t run: a blown circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or a full condensate drain pan.

Your air conditioning won’t turn on when you have a blown breaker.

To determine if one has gotten overloaded, find your house’s main electrical panel. You can find this metallic device on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.

• Make sure your hands and feet aren’t wet before you work on the panel or breakers.
• Find the breaker identified “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s triggered the switch will be in the middle of the panel or “off” spot.
• Firmly move the lever back to the “on” location. If it instantly flips again, don’t reset it and contact us at 301-690-0397. A switch that keeps turning off may mean your residence has electrical trouble.

If your thermostat isn’t signaling your air conditioner to work, it won’t activate.

The first step is ensuring it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioning might not start running. Or you may have. heated air coming from vents because the heat is running instead.

If you’re using a digital thermostat:

• Swap out the batteries if the readout is blank. If the readout is presenting garbled numbers, replace the thermostat.
• Make sure the right option is showing. If you can’t change it, override it by dropping the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if scheduling is wrong.
• Test setting the thermostat 5 degrees lower than the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t start if the thermostat matches the room’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is calibrated properly, you should receive cool air quickly.

If you’re using a smart thermostat, including ones made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, check the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you still can’t get it to work, call us at 301-690-0397 for help.

Your AC probably has a shut-off lever around its outdoor unit. This device is commonly in a metal box hung on your house. If your equipment has recently been fixed, the device may have accidentally been left in the “off” setting.

Condensate drain pans keep the extra condensation your system takes out of the air. This pan can be found either under or within your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a clog or backed up drain, water can build up and trigger a safety feature to turn off your air conditioner.

If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can drain the surplus liquid with a custom pan-cleaning tablet. You can purchase these tablets at a home improvement or hardware store.

If your pan involves a pump, look for the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s moisture in the pan, you may need to get a new pump. Contact us at 301-690-0397 for help.

If your air conditioner is running but not delivering cold air, its airflow could be congested. Or it could not have sufficient refrigerant.

Your system’s airflow can be limited by a clogged air filter or dusty condenser.

A dusty filter can create a lot of problems, including:

• Lower cooling
• Icy refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
• Intermittent cooling
• Bigger energy expenses
• Making your system break down sooner

We suggest changing flat filters monthly, and accordion filters every three months.

If you can’t remember when you last installed a new one, switch off your AC fully and take out the filter. You can find the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be situated in an attached filter holder or wall-mounted return air grille.

Tilt the filter up to the sunshine. If you can’t see any light you certainly should get a new one.

Brush, grass and bushes can obstruct your condensing equipment. This could limit its airflow, make it less energy efficient and change your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your unit running well again.

1. Turn off power fully at the breaker or external lever.
2. Remove plant rubbish around the equipment. Once you’ve removed bigger clutter within a two-foot radius, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to slowly clean the unit’s fins. Bent fins can also hurt efficiency, so you can attempt to adjust them with a blunt knife.
3. Use a hose nozzle to slowly clean the fins from inside the equipment. Make sure to avoid getting moisture on the fan motor.
4. Install the top again and turn the power back on.

When air conditioning equipment doesn’t have adequate refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your rooms.

Here are a few symptoms that your equipment is seeping refrigerant:

1. It takes a long time to refresh your home and you’re constantly decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
2. Air conditioning coming through the vents isn’t as cold as it should be.
3. You’re noticing hissing or burbling noises when cooling runs.
4. Your evaporator coil is icy as a result of having an issue handling warmth.

Think your system is leaking refrigerant? You need a qualified heating and cooling service expert to fix the leak and refill the proper level of refrigerant in your equipment. Call us at 301-690-0397 for help.

When it appears like you’re not having adequate amounts of cold air, there’s potentially a clog or separation inside your AC unit.

• The first step is checking your air filter. Get a new one if it’s dirty.
• Then ensure the registers are free across your house.
• If you’re still not experiencing enough chilled air, you should have your ducts inspected by a specialist like May's Heating & Air. Your ducts may need to be serviced or relinked in hard-to-reach spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.