If you are having troubles with your air conditioner, before calling a contractor follow these steps to troubleshoot why your AC may not be running as expected. , or you can also check the lights on your radio receiver (located on your home). Was the AC unit on/running prior to controlling?
If yes, and we are controlling, then it's most likely in the middle of the control cycle so your AC unit won't run again until the cycle is over. Remember, during control periods your AC will cycle on and off. Cycle time will vary depending on your AC unit and the radio installed. Is the thermostat set to cool?
If not, you'll need to set it to cooling mode. Please note: If you are turning your AC unit on in the middle of a control period, your AC unit may not come on right away. It could take up to 30 minutes for it to cycle back on. We recommend turning your AC unit on in advance of hot weather to ensure the home is pre-cooled. Is the temperature on the thermostat set lower than the temperature in the house?
If no, set the temperature lower and listen for the AC unit to turn on.

We recommend turning your AC unit on in advance of hot weather to ensure the home is pre-cooled. 

If you have a programmable thermostat and are not able to see a display of the temperature, the thermostat has likely lost power or is disconnected somewhere. Call a contractor for help. Is the air conditioning circuit breaker turned on?
If yes, turn the breaker off, then on and wait 15-20 minutes for the radio to reset. Only do this once. Is the AC disconnect box (located outside by AC unit) circuit breaker in the ON position?
If not, pull out the handle and turn it to the position that says "ON". Be sure to push the handle back in. Are there any fuses in your air conditioners disconnect box?
If yes, are they good? Most hardware stores carry disconnect fuses and can test them. Is the furnace fan blowing air?
If not, that means a fuse or something in the furnace is disconnected and a contractor is needed for more trouble shooting.
If it is and your AC still does not turn on, call a contractor for help trouble shooting.

Still having issues?
If you've followed all of these steps and you are still having issues with your air conditioner call a contractor for help. If you do not contact a contractor and Connexus Energy comes out and determines our equipment is not the issue, there may be a trip charge assessed to your account. There is a 24-48 hour turn-around for a meter technician to come and check the off-peak equipment. If the radio is not the problem, then the meter technician will bypass the radio control and you will have to call your contractor for more follow-up. If a contractor finds a problem with Connexus Energy's off-peak equipment, you can request the contractor to bypass the off-peak radio control. As with all innovative energy conservation programs, there are some additional day-to-day measures you can take to minimize cooling costs and maximize the efficiency of the program. For additional energy saving tips, click here or call Member Services at 763.323.2650.Breakers are a safety device.

It is designed to protect not only the equipment but the wiring and the house as well. So when it trips, there is a reason and it should be taken seriously. One very common cause for breakers to trip are loose electrical connections and can easily be corrected by tightening them. Try one time to reset it by turning it to the “off” position and then back to the “on” position. Do not just keep resetting it and try to ignore the situation. outside ac unit doesn't turn onIt is trying to tell you something.portable air conditioner heater units And while it may be just a weak breaker or the result of a thunderstorm, always remember that you are dealing with high voltage, high amperage and possibly high temperatures which can cause serious damage to life and property. 2 ton ac package unit

Note that breakers should not feel hot to the touch. If it is hot, it indicates a problem and not to be ignored. For example, if when you reset it, it immediately trips, that is usually indicative of a direct short. Do not even try to reset the breaker again. Sometimes the breaker for the outside unit trips because the compressor is having a hard time starting and will require a “hard start” kit to get it going again or it may be as simple as replacing a defective capacitor. Below is a list of possible causes and things to check. can be addressed or fixed by the homeowner. usually require a service call. Low voltage to the house as in a brown-out Under-sized breaker or wire Locked up motor or compressor The company You Choose To Install and Service Your System Will Determine The Degree of Comfort and Satisfaction You Enjoy. Excerpts of the preceding information has been compiled by Hannabery HVAC, which has graciously permitted us to include them on this web site as a service for all homeowners.

These "Common HVAC Problems" are provided FREE and as a consequence Climatemakers does not assume any liability resulting from any information we provide. Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off - What you can expect to learn from Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off article: this article is an answer from a question taken from our email by a visitor to High Performance HVAC. We often use the questions we get in the email as a guide to write articles. The topic is a condensing unit that will not turn off and it is freezing up. From my experience in the field and using my HVAC knowledge I offer the readers a list that could cause this problem. We hope it helps you. What’s the possible problem with a frozen air conditioner condenser that won’t turn off except with the breaker?Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn OffThe Answer for frozen air conditioner condensing unit that won’t turn offRelated Link: Here is a similar but different problem with a frozen air conditioner.There are 3 possible problems with this unit and will probably need the attention of an HVAC Technician for repair.

Here are the 3 possible problems:1) Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off  – The first thing is the condensing unit will freeze up if the air handler blower is not running when the condenser is on. The condenser is pumping liquid refrigerant to the air handler evaporator coil where air is needed to blow across the coil so the cold refrigerant can absorb heat. If the refrigerant is not absorbing heat because the blower is not blowing air across the evaporator coil then the condenser will freeze. This often happens when everything is working fine but the filter is plugged up, duct work is collapsed, or the blower motor fails. In this case, the blower is working fine but the condenser will not turn off so the thermostat is cycling the air handler blower on and off but the condenser is not turning off. It is possible you have a defective thermostat but I would check two other things first.I would check the compressor contactor to see if it was stuck in the closed position. Under normal operation when the thermostat calls for cooling (heating in a heat pump) a 24-volt signal is sent to the compressor contactor inside the air conditioner condenser unit.

This energizes and closes the contacts of the compressor contactor which is basically a switch controlled by the thermostat. This allows high voltage to pass to the compressor and the condenser fan motor. When the switch or compressor contactor closes and opens a slight arcing of electricity happens and over time this causes pitting of the contacts. It can also cause the contacts to stick so the even when the thermostat disengages the compressor contactor or stops sending the 24-volt signal the unit will continue to run because the contacts are stuck and will not release. The compressor contactor needs to be replaced and this should be done by a qualified HVAC technician. When the compressor contactor sticks like this the only way the condenser will turn off is if you turn the main power off to the condenser as you have been doing when you need air conditioning. 2) Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off  – The other possibility for your problem is the thermostat wires are bad somewhere.

These would be the thermostat wires that go to the air conditioner condensing unit. Old thermostat or damaged thermostat wire will cause the condenser to run and not shut off. Old thermostat wire loses the insulation and the copper which the insulation protects touches and feeds continuous voltage to the compressor contactor. Same thing with a damaged thermostat wire. Leave the condenser on and turn the power off to the air handler to test this. This will kill the 24-volts which feeds the compressor contactor. If the condenser turns off then you have either a bad thermostat or the wire problem described here. New thermostat wire needs to be pulled from the thermostat to the condenser to fix this problem and I recommend you get a professional to do this job. Has some work been done lately around the house where someone was driving nails into the wall? If so then a nail could have pierced the wire and this is causing your problem. 3) The next thing it could be is a bad thermostat. If you have checked all the other things and nothing happens carefully disconnect the yellow wire from the Y terminal on the thermostat.