What to Do When Your AC System Won’t Turn On

We have all found ourselves standing at our thermostat on a warm day adjusting the temperature. As with every other time we adjust the temperature, we know there will be a click or a buzz letting us know that cooler air is headed our way. But what if that reassuring noise doesn’t come? What do you do when your AC system won’t turn on? Don’t let yourself panic. There are certain things you can check before you need to call a professional.

Check Your Thermostat

This makes a great starting point because this is most likely right where you were standing when you noticed the issue. There are some simple things to check with your thermostat. Firstly, is the unit on? This can and does happen, especially if there are others in the home. A simple check of the on/off setting could have you back up and running in no time at all. If that isn’t the case, there could be other settings causing your trouble. Check to see if there is a setting labeled “heat” on one end and “cool” on the other. This could have been switched to heat or neutral, causing your unit to not react to the temperature change you wanted. Yet another change to the settings and you could quickly return to comfort. If, however, you find that those settings are where they are supposed to be, then you may have to take a trip outside of your house.

Check Your Breakers

The next stop to see where the problem lies should be your breaker box. You’ll need to find where your home or apartment houses the breakers. It will most likely be a gray box mounted on the wall in a smaller room, like the laundry room or utility closet, or perhaps it is in the basement. Once there, open the door to the box, and check to see if there is a breaker that is in the off position. Next check to see if it is listed as the HVAC or AC power source. If it isn’t clearly labeled, you can test it by flipping it back on. If you don’t see a switch in the off position try pushing them all with a little pressure. Not enough to flip them off, but enough to make sure that they are securely on. Sometimes, when a breaker turns off it doesn’t flip all the way to the off position. Hopefully, you’ll find the breaker switched off, you can fix it quickly, and your discomfort will be over. If not, you have one more place to try.

Check the AC Unit

The last place to check would be outside at the AC unit itself. While you shouldn’t take it apart, you should be able to see any visible signs of physical damage to the outside of the equipment. Check for any damage to the unit itself, for any wear and tear, or for other objects that could have lodged themselves inside. In the area around the system, check for unusual amounts of liquid or water that could have been building up from the unit. If anything does appear to be damaged, you should call a professional to have a look.

If you’ve tried these steps and your unit still won’t turn on, you definitely need to call a professional AC repair company. Comfort Experts, Inc. is a great option to go-to for all of your AC needs.