Ahhhh...  LOVE THAT AIR CONDITIONING!

 Air conditioning is the greatest thing next to puppies and kittens!  There's nothing like cold, chilly air circulating throughout your home, especially when it's hot, humid, and sticky outside... and nothing worse when the A/C unit isn't cooling  properly or at all on that same kind of day.    

An air condensing unit sits outside and has multiple components, parts, and controls that work together with the air handler inside the home to provide conditioned air for the comfort of you and your family.  There can be a number of reasons why the air conditioner has stopped cooling or has stopped working all together and here are a few things you can check before calling for air conditioning repair service:

1. Is air coming out of the registers?   If yes, is it hot/warm air or cool air?    Warm air blowing can be caused by a number of issues, so the air filter/s is at the top of the list to check.  If dirty, obviously change the filter and check to see if that solved the issue.   If the filter/s have been changed recently and are relatively clean, the next thing to check is...
2. Ice or frost on the refrigerant line or on the evaporator coil inside the Air Handling Unit (furnace).  If you find frost or ice, turn off the A/C unit at the thermostat but leave the blower fan "ON" to help the unit thaw-out... be aware that there may be a considerable amount of water as it thaws.  Ice or frost  often indicates the refrigerant may be low or proper air-flow has been restricted.   
3. If there is no air blowing out of the registers, this could be a seized-up blower motor and the A/C unit should be turned off at the thermostat...  you will need a service technician to troubleshoot, locate and fix the problem. 
4. Is the outside unit running?   If no,  check to see if the electrical breaker has tripped.   If the breaker has tripped, there is a reason it tripped and it's time to call for service.  If breaker is on, it could be any number of things like the compressor has failed or the condenser fan motor has seized-up.  It's time to contact an HVAC contractor to get your air conditioner running again.
5. If the A/C unit is running,  is it loud or noisy?  If yes, turn the unit off at the thermostat and look through the "cage" at the inside of the air conditioner for possible debris.  If no debris is visible, again, it's time to call for professional help and let a qualified HVAC technician come to the rescue.

 Maintaining Summer Comfort

Air Conditioner Maintenance is recommended in early -mid spring to tune it up before the heat of the summer hits.   Not only will the unit be ready to keep your home at the comfortable temperature you enjoy,  you are going to appreciate the lower monthly utility bills with the A/C unit running efficiently.  Consistent, routine, professional maintenance will also make a huge difference in the longevity of your HVAC equipment.

Maintenance can give early detection of potential issues which increase the odds in your favor warding off premature component/control failure;  this is the best pro-active option to avoid premature A/C failure.  

When You Need Help...

ABLE Heat & Cool, LLC has more than 35 years experience keeping HVAC equipment running as designed to keep you and your family comfortable during any heating or cooling season.  Visit our website or give us a call 636-528-4794 for more information about who we are and the services we offer.