What to Check When Your A/C Won’t Turn On

Our Phoenix A/C contractors noticed that even during the recent lightning storm, the temperature outside barely dipped below 100 degrees. Phoenix can’t catch a break this summer. And in Tucson, air conditioning is just as important—it’s no cooler there. So if your air conditioning unit isn’t working, your quality of life is going to deteriorate, and fast. Rather than going to sleep at your grandma’s until the repair guy can pay you a visit, try these 5 DIY system checks. Who knows, you might save yourself the cost of a service visit!

1. Check the circuit breaker

There should be a double breaker that controls the air conditioning compressor, in addition to the 120-volt breaker controlling the furnace blower. Make sure both breakers are in the “on” position. If a fuse has blown, you’ll need to replace it—but if it blows again soon after, call a technician, as something more serious may be going on.

2. Look at your thermostat

Hey, don’t feel silly—people often forget to reset their thermostats when the temperature changes. Our Phoenix A/C contractors see that all the time, really. So take a look, and make sure it’s set to turn itself on at the current temperature in the room or above. If it’s set for a lower temperature, you won’t be feeling any A/C!

3. Flick all switches

There will be several switches in and around the actual A/C unit, including one on the side that looks like a light switch, and one inside the blower door that’s similar to the light switch inside your fridge. Flick all the switches to ensure that they’re set to “on.”

4. Test the batteries

Many modern thermostats are battery-operated, particularly the digital kinds. If the batteries have gone bad, that could be the culprit, and replacing them may fix your problem.

5. Empty the condensate overflow tray

If your unit uses a condensate overflow tray, you may need to empty it. Many units with these trays have sensors that shut off the units when the tray is filled with water. If you can’t find anything in or around your unit that looks like a small tray with water in it, ignore this step.

Couldn’t fix the problem using these fixes? Well, it was worth a shot, right? It’s probably time to call our Phoenix A/C contractors or Tucson air conditioning professionals. We’re easy to get in touch with, 24/7. And we’ll have your air conditioner up and running in no time.