One of the worst things for any family to experience is that first heat wave of the summer and not have your AC unit working properly. Everyone in the family is miserable, tempers flare and it is always someone’s fault, or at least it is made to be that way. Of course, there are a ton of other families facing the same problem so it could end up being days if not a week or more before the HVAC company comes out to fix the problem. In the meantime there are a few things you can do to see if maybe there is something going on that you could fix.
Air Filter – This is one of the easiest things to take care of and usually the least expensive. Check your air filter. Is it brown and nasty and full of gunk? Replace it. Just this one simple thing can often change the temperature in your home significantly just because the AC unit is able to cool more air.
Coils – Spray off the coils on your outside unit. Dirt, dust, debris, spider webs and other gunk can greatly reduce the coils ability to cool your home. All you need to do is pull the hose over to the unit and spray it off.
Thermostat – Believe it or not your thermostat can be the culprit even though it appears to be working. Replace the batteries. A couple of minutes and a couple of bucks in batteries could mean the difference between a good nights sleep or waking up drenched.
If none of those things work and your unit is actually running you may have bigger problems. Most likely you need to get your coolant recharged and if that is the case you might very well have a leak somewhere in the system. Either of these problems need to be addressed by a professional heating and air company.
If it is a newer unit you may be in for some good news. Most units come with a 5 to 10 year warranty so any repairs and parts are usually covered in the repair.