These are probably the most common Summer-Time HVAC-related complaints! But first things first, please check all of the obvious things (listed below), before scheduling a service-call. Is the thermostat set to "cool" and turned down below room temperature? Is the Power on to the indoor unit? Did you check the breaker? Is the Power on to the outdoor unit? If yes to these, is the outdoor unit running? If no, see if the outdoor unit has a red reset button (most Rheem equipment does, located near refrigerant lines), and push it. If that didn't work, see if you have a condensate pump at the indoor unit. If you do, some pumps have a safety switch that shuts off the outdoor unit if the pump overfills and fails to pump. So check the pump to see if it is working. If that wasn't the problem, back outside at the unit there should be a disconnect box mounted on the wall. These come in many styles. Some have an on-off switch, some have a pull-out plug. Some have a circuit breaker and some even have fuses.

If it has a breaker, make sure it didn't trip. If it has fuses, they should be checked. Caution: High Voltage, danger of electrocution. Please do not attempt this unless you are familiar with working with electricity. For more possible causes as to why your outdoor unit isn't running, please see: If you have checked all of these things, and your unit still isn't running, then you should schedule a service-call. If your outdoor and indoor units are BOTH RUNNING, BUT NOT COOLING, make sure that all windows and doors are closed, your supply and return vents are open - not blocked, and that your air filter is clean. If no problems there, then you should probably turn the air conditioning off and schedule a service-call. Refrigerant flow-related problem - restriction Poor efficiency- needs cleaning and servicing Duct leak in unconditioned space Outdoor coils damaged or very dirtyYou are here » Common Air Conditioner ProblemsSometimes your air conditioner can appear to be running just fine, but still isn’t doing its job to cool your home.

When this happens, there can be several possible causes that prevent your air conditioner from keeping you cool. We’ve listed a few below. Sometimes your air conditioner can appear to be running just fine, but still isn’t doing its job to cool your home. Ductwork is one of the most important components of your overall HVAC system. It is responsible for delivering the heated or cooled air, produced by your air conditioner or furnace, throughout your home. When your ductwork is cracked, bent, or poorly designed, the heated or cooled air your HVAC unit works so hard to create, cannot keep you comfortable. cost to run a window ac unitA thorough inspection and sealing of your ductwork may be necessary to fix the problem.cost for small ac unit If you notice your AC is running, but not always cooling, you might want to check yourthermostat settings. power supply unit ac dc

Most thermostats have an “auto” and “on” setting for the blower, and when set a certain way, can make your air conditioner seem like it’s not working properly. When set to “auto” the blower goes off and on according to the set room temperature. In the “on” position, the blower will run continuously regardless of the room temperature. Often, the “on” position is used for homes with air cleaners and other filtration systems installed as part of their HVAC system. Especially as your unit ages, it will leak small amounts of refrigerant every season if it is not charged on a regular basis. Sometimes, your unit can leak too much refrigerant to be effective at keeping you cool. In other instances, the refrigerant can come into contact with moisture and freeze, which causes blockages and prevent your unit from cooling properly. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to have your AC serviced on an annual basis. Sometimes a stalled condenser coil can cause your unit to not blow cool air.

The condenser coil is the part of the unit responsible for producing the cold air. A blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker can cause it to quit working while the fan will continue to run, providing the facade your AC is operating, as it should. A professional inspection if your AC will help to determine if this is the problem. When your AC isn’t keeping you comfortable, it’s best to contact a professional who can help you properly diagnose and repair the problem. At Cool Today, our technicians are trained to fix your problem fast while saving your money. If you’re still having trouble, schedule service with us online today, or contact one of our experts to learn more about your air conditioning problems. I noticed my house wasn't getting under 75°F this weekend when I had the thermostat set for 70°F. Since I'd done a lot of drywall sanding inside recently, my first idea was to replace the filthy air filter. My first indication that the air filter wasn't the root cause was when the return didn't have enough suction to hold the air filter in place while I was replacing it.

I went outside to look at the compressor unit and discovered the exposed portion of the refrigerant line running into the house was frozen, but the fan was still running. The evaporator drain line still had a steady stream of water coming out of it. After turning everything off and waiting for the line to thaw, I turned the thermostat back on. Cooler air came out of the vents, but it didn't seem to be blowing with much force, and it wasn't as cool as it should be. I went back outside and discovered the refrigerant line was already frosting up again. At this point it was already dark, so I turned everything back off and slept with the ceiling fan on. Other random notes that may or may not play a factor: The AC unit had been sitting idle the past 3 days since we had nice weather in the mid-70's last week. I mowed the lawn next to the condenser unit the day I noticed it stopped working. However, I was bagging the grass clippings, so nothing should have been blown into the unit.

Any ideas on the root cause of the icing and lower air flow? I wouldn't think the two would be connected normally. Is it something as simple as low refrigerant levels? I plan on going to look more closely at it after work today. What are some other things I should pay attention to? UPDATE: I checked the system after work today and decided to give it one more chance after I couldn't find anything wrong with it. After a few hours, it had brought the inside temperature down from 80°F to 75°F. I periodically checked the refrigerant line for freezing, but it never got much colder than 60ish degrees. I think the root cause was the air filter, and that I didn't allow enough time for the line to thaw last night. UPDATE 2: Maybe I drew conclusions too soon - I just checked the refrigerant line and discovered frost on it again. The inside temperature was at 72°F while the outside was at 66°F. I think pumping warm air to a cooler outside temperature may have contributed to the icing, but I'm not completely sure.

(And if you think I'm crazy for running the AC when I could just open the window, you'd think twice too if you saw how many bugs swarm my porch light and windows every night. Dozens of them somehow find their way past the screens if I open the windows.) I plan on running it again tomorrow during the day and monitoring the refrigerant line temperature every few hours. If it freezes up again, I think I'm going to cave and call a repair guy. UPDATE 3: I totally forgot to follow up on this. It froze again, so I called an HVAC repair guy. He checked the system, added refrigerant, and problem solved. I think the bill came out somewhere around $150 for the service call fee and refrigerant costs. You may be looking at the problem backwards, the freezing lines could be a symptom of the problem not the cause. Start by looking for blockages in the system that would cause lower air flow / heat exchange. Basically if the system cannot exchange the heat/cold, it will not function properly and could lead to over heating/cooling.

Frozen lines could also be caused by high or low levels of refrigerant, so you'll want to get a service person out to check the refrigerant levels. Here is a really good image to visualize how it works. My A/C's frozen up before due to insufficient airflow over the evaporator coil. Turns out those $20 allergen-blocking air filters can slow down the air too much, so I switched to a cheaper one that doesn't block the air flow as much. My A/C guy also told me that running the A/C when it's cooler outside than inside can cause it to freeze up in certain conditions like low airflow or low freon. My guess is a dirty "A" coil or blower wheel. There also may be a leak in the system. If it is the coil or blower wheel, clean it and there won't be a problem any more. If there's a leak adding freon will only temporarily fix the problem. The system should be leak free and refrigerant shouldn't need to be added. If the small pipe is frozen, the gas is insufficient. Call a service man to recharge some gas again.