Imagine this, on a summer evening, you’re enjoying your time, relaxing in your home, when it’s not cool anymore. You make your way to the thermostat to find the issue, finding that the room’s temperature is higher than the temperature set. Furthermore, there is no airflow from the vents, which is not good. It is the moment you need an “HVAC troubleshooting guide.”
Staying ahead of technicians
Did you know that over 100 million homes in the U.S. alone have their own central AC or window/wall units installed? Even the newly housed or remodeled ones have their central heating and cooling system installed, making the HVAC system a standard. To give it another perspective, it’s not only about comfort but about one’s health.
As you know, every year, thousands of people find their way to hospitals due to heart-related illnesses. Besides, those other common issues include shortness of breath, asthma, and other respiratory problems. It may be due to the AC unit not working or needs cleaning. It is the reason your AC may need fixing before the arrival of the sweltering summer months.
As you may know, life often gets out of hand, making us forget or ignore checking for other things. It’s normal if we fail to check our air conditioner for any lingering issues. Anyhow, to keep track of things, we need a checklist for each complicated task. We need a list to find the problem and have it fixed soon for the air conditioner unit.
HVAC Troubleshooting Checklist
Make a troubleshooting checklist for immediate solutions. Usually, you’ll find this checklist with your device, or you can contact your local HVAC technician for one. This checklist will help you encounter issues and a simple fix, as most problems are easily fixable without much effort. For significant issues, you may need professional help.
Here is an HVAC troubleshoot checklist to keep track of:
- Electrical Issues
Let’s start simple; a breaker would trip without it being in an off position. Here you need to check the breaker first. According to HVAC cleaning in Marietta GA service, it is a breaker with a label “AC,” “air conditioner,” “HVAC,” or something similar; see if it’s in the on position. If not, flip it on, off, then on again. If it doesn’t stay in place, your breaker might need replacement, or there’s a short circuit somewhere, which is very unlikely.
Did you hear your HVAC unit turning on? You have fixed the issue. But, if the unit doesn’t turn on, there may be another problem. Go to the following checklist now.
- Checking Your Unit’s Thermostat
Other than a breaker, people may not realize that a thermostat may be the culprit. Although it is the most common reason for AC not working, there is a quick fix. Check your thermostat and see if the battery icon is flashing. It means your thermostat needs a battery replacement. However, you need a new thermostat if it’s not functioning or your HVAC unit hasn’t turned on.
- An Issue With Airflow
A dirty, clogged air filter can restrict airflow, restricting your AC from running smoothly or not at all. What happens is, over time, dirt and dust get blocked in the intake. It causes little to no airflow at all.
The simple fix here is to make sure to clean your AC filter. Or you can change the AC air filter every 30 days unless mentioned by the manufacturer.
- Frozen Air Handler
Air Duct Sanitizing in Marietta GA services says, sometimes the coil gets frozen due to mist buildup. Suppose you see or feel that coil’s frozen, turn off the unit, and allow 24 hours for your handler to defrost. It isn’t effortless during summer as it takes a lot of willpower and patience. If it doesn’t fix the problem, call a professional for assistance. You don’t want to cause any more damage to the motor or electric system.
- Clogged /Blocked Condenser
The condenser is the outer part or unit of your HVAC system. Its optimal performance makes your unit working to the best of its capabilities. However, outside condensers always have a hazard of weeds, grass, leaves, or critters getting stuck inside. Now, you can’t do much about critters, but you could take care of failing leaves and grass. Make sure to keep them away from the AC condenser as well as you can.
Do you feel something’s stuck in the AC condenser? Better call a licensed HVAC company professional to have your unit checked.
- Leakage or Low Refrigerant Charge
For this one, it’s better for a licensed professional to handle it. One most common issue people face is coolant or refrigerant running out, mainly due to leakage. A common sign of low coolant or refrigerant is warm air coming out of your vents.
The good news is, coolant or refrigerant can quickly recharge without any hassle. But it’s better to let a licensed professional handle it. This way technicians will find any leakage out and fix it, or they would suggest appropriate action like replacing the part that has the leakage.
- Coil Issues
There are two kinds of coils in an AC system, the indoor one and the outdoor one:
- Indoor Coil – this part is an evaporator coil that receives the coolant or refrigerant and turns it into gas for cooling.
- Outdoor Coil – When an outdoor condenser pressurizes refrigerant, it turns back to liquid. The coil releases the heat with the help of an exhaust fan. Next, it returns the coolant to the handler.
Coils are a delicate and essential part of the HVAC system, making the processes a bit complicated. It is why it’s vital to keep it safe from pet hair, dust, and fibers that are harmful to humans and harmful for coils.
As mentioned before, debris or electric interruption damages the condenser coil. This issue is difficult to detect as the exhaust fan still runs.
It makes you suspect that it’s an issue with the outdoor unit.
Aside from cleaning your unit, you need a service like Air Duct Sanitizing in Marietta, GA, to determine the actual cause. If you’re inspecting yourself, don’t forget to turn off your AC breaker before you start.
- AC Isn’t Properly Installed.
If you had your unit installed recently, there might be a chance that there’s something’s wrong. Most companies today have some warranty period. So it’s better to contact them immediately for an inspection.
- Replacement Time
The last worst-case scenario is not, but accepting that your unit is old and needs replacement. Unfortunately, new AC systems are not that cheap. What makes it worse is companies try to oversell their products.
For a good experience for the salesperson or service tech. You may ask about the sizes, make, and models of different HVAC units to make an informed decision.