As temperatures start to rise, most people count on having a working air conditioner. Having a fully functional AC system isn’t just a matter of simple comfort; it can actually be a real health issue, especially on the hottest days of summer. When you turn on the AC, you expect it to do its job quickly and efficiently, which is why if your AC won’t run, it’s a big and urgent problem. The cause of the problem might be as simple as a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse, but it could be something more complex and potentially costly to repair, such as a bad motor, burned wiring, a broken thermostat or a refrigerant leak.

The trouble is, most people have no idea their air conditioner is broken until they turn the thermostat down to cool down the house on a warm day and discover that it doesn’t run like … Read Full Post »

When we turn on our air conditioners, we expect our homes to become cool and comfortable. In some unfortunate situations, however, homeowners turn on the AC, only to detect an unpleasant odor. If your air conditioner smells musty, you’re probably trying to get to the bottom of the problem and figure out what you can do to fix it.

The most common culprit of an air conditioner that smells less than fresh is the presence of mold somewhere in the system. The other possibility is that your AC unit’s coils have started to corrode. Either way, your air conditioner has likely experienced a buildup of moisture, and the warning sign that that this may be the case is a bad smell.

Not all musty smells coming from your vents start in your air conditioner, however. Identifying the cause of this problem is the first step to resolving it. There are a couple … Read Full Post »

When you enter your home after spending time outside on a hot day, there’s nothing quite like the gust of cool air coming from your air conditioning vents. That’s why if you find yourself in a situation where you have no cold air coming from your AC, panic can quickly start to set in. Most likely, you switch into high gear, trying to determine what went wrong and what you can do to get your air conditioner working normally again.

There are several things that could be preventing your AC from blowing cold air, including a problem with your thermostat, dirty filters, a clogged condensate line, a blocked compressor or dirty coils. Your air conditioner is a machine with many parts that need to work together. If any one of these parts isn’t working correctly, you wind up with a system that doesn’t cool anything down or maybe doesn’t blow air … Read Full Post »

You are pleasantly surprised that after a heatwave, the weather outside is nearly perfect. So, you turn off your air conditioner and head outside to take advantage of a beautiful afternoon. However, after coming back in a few hours later, you realize that your air conditioner is still running, even though you turned it off. While this is arguably a better situation than having an air conditioner that won’t turn on, it’s still wasting energy and money. So, what can you do to turn off your air conditioner? Or is this a problem that requires the help of a professional?

Electrical issues are the most common cause of an AC unit that won’t stop running and these types of problems typically need to be addressed by a licensed heating and cooling specialist. However, before contacting a professional, you can check your fan to make sure this isn’t the problem.

Sometimes, when cleaning … Read Full Post »