Central Ac Doesnít Function At All

If your central air conditioning equipment doesnít go on automatically when the thermostat signals the need for cooling, itís quite likely that the thermostat isnít working correctly or the unit is receiving electrical power. Before you decide to do anything else, make sure the thermostat is set to COOL and its temperature setting is well below the ambient temperature.
Then do the following:

1 Test the primary electrical panel and any secondary circuit panels for a tripped breaker or blown fuse. If you discover the problem there, reset the circuit breaker by switching it off and then on or replace the fuse. A central air conditioning equipment must be on a dedicated 240-volt circuit.

2 Ensure the central heater power switch is turned on and that the outdoor condenserís on / off switch, which is mounted on the outdoor unit, hasnít been shut off. Also be sure the 240-volt disconnect near the compressor, which happens to be in a metal box usually mounted on the house wall, hasnít been turn off.

3 Turn off the power to the air conditioner and check the thermostat. Take off the thermostatís cover from the base (usually by yanking straight out) and replace the batteries (if it has batteries). Replace the cover and wait around three or four minutes and then try the system again.

4 If that doesnít do the trick, open the thermostat again and unscrew the wire from the Y terminal. Turn the power back on. Holding the wire by its insulation only, touch the bare end to the R terminal and keep it there for about two minutes. If the compressor kicks on, the thermostat is bad; change it out. If the compressor doesnít go on when you hold the two wires together, switch the power back off and call an air-conditioning expert.

Still not working? Please keep reading.

Air Conditioner Doesnít Cool Well

If you can hear your central ac working, but it doesnít cool well, the problem may be caused by a number of problems. The very first thing to do is ensure the filter in the air handler is clear so that it receives proper air flow.

1 Turn off the power to the air conditioner.

2 Take out the door on the front of the air-handler cabinet to give you accessibility to the filter. Grab the filter and clean or change it out as necessary.

3 Look for ice. If you see ice in the area around the coils, close the unit back up, turn the power back on, and turn on the fan. The ice should melt within an hour or two.

4 Clear the condensate drain. Air conditioners can create a lot of water simply because they remove moisture from the air. To eliminate this, they have a [usually plastic] drain pipe that comes out of the side of the air handler. With time, algae can block this pipe and, when it does, the A/C wonít work. Water is also likely to puddle near the system or even flood the area. 

5 Clean the outdoor compressor. 

6 Make sure the compressor is functioning. When you set the thermostat to a temperature below the room temperature, you should hear the outdoor compressor run and see the fan rotating inside the top. If the fan isnít rotating, search for an overload button or switch to reset (not all types have this). Place a screwdriver down through the top grille and then try to spin the fan blades clockwise. They should spin freely. If doing this gives the fan enough of a boost to get going, the unit has a defective capacitor that must definitely be replaced by an Air conditioner repair technician.

If none of these steps worked, the likelihood is pretty good that the coolant needs to be recharged by an air conditioning professional.

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