Central Air Conditioner Doesnít Work At All

If your central air conditioning equipment doesnít go on immediately when the thermostat signals the need for cooling, itís most probably that the thermostat isnít functioning properly 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 Examine the primary electrical panel and any secondary circuit panels for a tripped breaker or blown fuse. If you find the problem there, reset the breaker by switching it off and then on or replace the fuse. A central ac needs to be on a dedicated 240-volt circuit.

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

3 Turn off the power to the hvac 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 3 or 4 minutes and try the system again.

4 If that doesnít do the job, open the thermostat again and remove 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 hold it there for approximately two minutes. If the compressor kicks on, the thermostat is faulty; change it out. If the compressor doesnít go on whenever you hold the two wires together, switch the power back off and call up an air-conditioning expert.

Still not working? Please keep reading.

Air Conditioner Doesnít Cool Well

If you're able to hear your central ac running, but it doesnít cool well, the problem could be the result of a number of issues. The very first thing to perform is make sure the filter in the air handler is clear so that it receives proper air flow.

1 Turn off the power to the air conditioning unit.

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

3 Look for ice. If you notice ice in the area around the coils, shut the device back up, switch the power back on, and turn on the fan. The ice should liquefy within an hour or two.

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

5 Clean the outdoor compressor. 

6 Make sure the compressor is operating. When you set the thermostat to a temperature below the room temperature, you should notice the outdoor compressor run and see the fan turning inside the top. If the fan isnít turning, search for an overload button or switch to reset (not all types have this). Stick a screwdriver down through the top grille and 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 device has a faulty capacitor that must definitely be replaced by an Air conditioning repair technician.

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

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