AC Repair in Buellton, CA: How to Handle 3 Common Problems

There can be a few explanations why your air conditioning won’t run: a triggered circuit breaker, wrong thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overfull condensate drain pan.

Your cooling won’t turn on when you have an overloaded breaker.

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

• Ensure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you touch the panel or breakers.
• Look for the breaker marked “AC” and ensure it’s in the “on” position. If it’s overloaded the switch will be in the middle of the panel or “off” position.
• Steadily shift the lever back to the “on” location. If it instantly flips again, don’t touch it and contact us at 805-242-9638. A fuse that keeps flipping may signal your home has electrical trouble.

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

The first part is checking it’s set to “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your air conditioner may not switch on. Or you could receive. hot air moving from vents because the heat is going instead.

If you’re using a regular thermostat:

• Put in new batteries if the screen is blank. If the monitor is presenting scrambled characters, replace the thermostat.
• Check the proper mode is on the display. If you can’t change it, override it by dropping the temperature and hitting the “hold” button. This will cause your AC to run if scheduling is wrong.
• Attempt to set the thermostat 5 degrees colder than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t cool if the thermostat is identical to the room’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is set correctly, you should start getting cold air quickly.

If you have a smart thermostat, like one 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 805-242-9638 for support.

Your air conditioner typically has a shut-down switch by its outside unit. This switch is typically in a metal box hung on your residence. If your equipment has recently been serviced, the device may have accidentally been positioned in the “off” location.

Condensate drain pans hold the additional condensation your air conditioner removes from the air. This pan can be situated either under or inside your furnace or air handler.

When there’s a clog or clogged drain, water can build up and initiate a safety feature to stop your equipment.

If your pan includes a PVC pipe or drain, you can clear the additional liquid with a custom pan-cleaning capsule. You can get these tabs at a home improvement or hardware shop.

If your pan involves a pump, look for the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s water in the pan, you might have to install a new pump. Reach us at 805-242-9638 for assistance.

If your air conditioner is on but not cooling, its airflow may be blocked. Or it could not have enough refrigerant.

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

A dusty filter can create numerous troubles, such as:

• Lower comfort
• Frosted refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
• Intermittent cooling
• Increased cooling bills
• Leading your system to wear out faster

We suggest installing new flat filters every four weeks, and accordion filters every three months.

If you can’t recall when you last changed yours, turn 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 adjoining filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.

Angle the filter up to your light fixture. If you can’t see any light you need to replace it.

Weeds, grass and leaves can get in the way of your condensing system. This could limit its airflow, make it less energy efficient and change your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your equipment running smoothly again.

1. Switch off power totally at the breaker or external device.
2. Clear greenery waste around the AC. Once you’ve gotten rid of larger clutter within a two-foot radius, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to carefully remove dust from the unit’s fins. Kinked fins can also impact performance, so you can attempt to reshape them with a dinner knife.
3. Use a hose nozzle to slowly remove gunk off the fins from inside the system. Don’t get water on the fan motor.
4. Replace the top and turn the power back on.

When air conditioning units don’t have sufficient refrigerant, they’ll have to work much harder to remove heat and humidity from your space.

Here are several indications that your equipment is leaking refrigerant:

1. It takes too long to refresh your house and you’re constantly decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
2. Air conditioning moving through the vents isn’t as chilly as it should be.
3. You’re hearing whistling or gurgling sounds when the air conditioning is on.
4. Your evaporator coil is icy on account of having an issue absorbing warmth.

Suspect your equipment is seeping refrigerant? You need a certified heating and cooling service professional to repair the leak and replenish the correct amount of refrigerant in your system. Call us at 805-242-9638 for assistance.

When it feels like you’re not having enough cool air, there’s usually an obstruction or separation somewhere in your air conditioning system.

• The first stage is checking your air filter. Get a new one if it’s dusty.
• Then make sure the vents are clear around your rooms.
• If you’re still not receiving ample chilled air, you should have your ducts examined by a specialist like Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning. Your ducts may need to be repaired or reconnected in hard-to-reach spots like your attic, basement or crawl space.