AC Repair in Manassas, VA: How to Fix 3 Common Troubles

There can be a few causes why your air conditioning won’t cool: a tripped circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.

Your air conditioner won’t run when you have a tripped breaker.

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

• Make sure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you touch the panel or breakers.
• Locate the breaker marked “AC” and make sure it’s in the “on” spot. If it’s tripped the breaker will be in the in between or “off” spot.
• Firmly shift the breaker back to the “on” spot. If it immediately flips again, leave it alone and contact us at 703-595-4157. A breaker that keeps tripping may indicate your house has an electrical problem.

If your thermostat isn’t giving a sign to your AC to start, it won’t activate.

The key point is ensuring it’s switched to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner may not start running. Or you may receive. hot air moving from vents since the heat is running instead.

If you rely on a regular thermostat:

• Swap out the batteries if the readout is empty. If the screen is showing jumbled numbers, buy a new thermostat.
• Check the right mode is showing. If you can’t change it, override it by dropping the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will make your AC start if scheduling is wrong.
• Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees lower than the space’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat matches the space’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is calibrated correctly, you should receive refreshing air quickly.

If you’re using a smart thermostat, such as one produced by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, go to the manufacturer’s website for help. If it still won’t work, reach us at 703-595-4157 for help.

Your AC typically has a power-cutting lever near its condenser. This device is commonly in a metal box attached to your home. If your AC has recently been worked on, the switch may have accidentally been left in the “off” setting.

Condensate drain pans catch the surplus condensation your AC takes out of the air. This pan can be situated either under or within your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a clog or blocked drain, water can build up and trigger a safety control to switch off your air conditioner.

If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can get rid of the surplus liquid with a custom pan-cleaning capsule. You can purchase these capsules at a home improvement or hardware retailer.

If your pan involves a pump, look for the float switch. If the switch is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you may need to get a new pump. Reach us at 703-595-4157 for assistance.

If your air conditioner is going but not cooling, its airflow could be congested. Or it may not have sufficient refrigerant.

Your equipment’s airflow can be limited by a plugged air filter or dirty condenser.

A dusty filter can lead to countless problems, such as:

• Limited cooling
• Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
• Inconsistent cooling
• Higher cooling bills
• Leading your system to wear out sooner

We recommend changing flat filters every four weeks, and accordion filters every three months.

If you can’t remember when you last changed yours, switch off your equipment completely and take out the filter. You can spot the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be situated in an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.

Angle the filter up to your light fixture. If you see a lot of dust you need to replace it.

Brush, grass and shrubbery can block your condensing system. This may restrict its airflow, lower its energy efficiency and affect your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your system operating smoothly again.

1. Switch off electricity fully at the breaker or outdoor lever.
2. Get rid of plant rubbish around the air conditioner. Once you’ve removed bigger clutter within a two-foot space, you can use a soft brush or vacuum to gingerly remove dust from the unit’s fins. Misshapen fins can also affect efficiency, so you can attempt to adjust them with a small knife.
3. Use a hose nozzle to slowly remove gunk off the fins from inside the equipment. Don’t get water on the fan motor.
4. Replace the top and restore the power.

When AC equipment doesn’t have sufficient refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your residence.

Here are a couple of flags that your system is seeping refrigerant:

1. It takes too long to lower the temperature in your space and you’re regularly lowering the thermostat.
2. Cooling moving through the ducts isn’t as chilly as it should be.
3. You’re experiencing hissing or bubbling noises when cooling works.
4. Your evaporator coil is frosty because it’s having difficulty handling humidity.

Worried your unit is seeping refrigerant? You need a licensed heating and cooling service professional to fix the leak and replenish the correct level of refrigerant in your equipment. Get in touch with us at 703-595-4157 for assistance.

When it seems like you’re not having enough cool air, there’s probably a clog or detachment somewhere in your cooling unit.

• The beginning step is checking your air filter. Replace it if it’s filthy.
• Then check the ductwork is free throughout your rooms.
• If you’re still not receiving ample chilly air, you should have your duct system inspected by a professional like Fire & Ice HVAC. Your duct system might need to be serviced or rejoined in limited space areas like your attic, basement or crawl space.