Why Is My Air Conditioner Not Turning On?

Living in Georgia, your home’s air conditioning system is essential to your overall comfort. If you have an infant or an older family member, it’s also essential for their overall health.

So when your AC won’t turn on (especially during the summer), it’s easy to bypass any feelings of serenity and go straight to panic mode.

That’s why having a reliable air conditioning company is so important for homeowners. If your AC won’t turn on, the team at Trust Heating and Air can help right away.

We offer emergency AC repairs because we know living for just one day without AC in Georgia would be unbearable and cause even the best-behaved children to drive their parents crazier than usual.

However, an air conditioner that won’t turn on isn’t entirely uncommon — and there are quick and easy steps you can take to figure out why your system is experiencing trouble. Below are the most common reasons your AC won’t turn on.

Check the Circuit Breakers

If there was a power surge, your air conditioner might have blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker.

Circuit breakers are designed to shut off when they’re receiving an electricity overload.

It protects your home from fires. The reason breakers trip could be due to using too many appliances at once, or maybe an appliance is too old and consumes too much electricity.

Regardless of the reason, if the breaker provides power to your AC unit trips, the air conditioner won’t turn on.

If it’s a fuse box, look for a blown fuse (replace that thing!). On a circuit breaker, look for a tripped circuit and flip it to “off” and then back to “on”. At the shutoff box near the AC — Some models of air conditioners have a fuse at the previously mentioned safety shutoff box.

To find out whether your fuses are working properly, you’ll need a multimeter to do a continuity test. Test both fuses. If the multimeter beeps, your fuses are working properly. If one of them doesn’t beep, you can purchase a replacement at a hardware store.

Overall, how many problems do you have with electric appliances in your home? Do lights flicker on and off regularly? Do appliances make a humming sound when you first plug them in? Often, there are signs of wiring problems before the… pudding hits the fan. If you often experience any of these, you’ll need an electrician to fix the underlying cause.

Dirty Air Filters

How often do you change your air filters? This is something that most people know needs to be done regularly, but it’s hardly something that’s prioritized.

When they become caked with debris and dust, the air is obstructed. Under normal circumstances, an AC would absorb humidity from your home. Water droplets would then fall into a condensation tray and drained outside through drain lines. But when your air filters are dirty, the water droplets will freeze, covering the coils with layers of ice.

Essentially, your AC is full of components that are prone to debris build-up. When debris builds upon various components of your AC, it makes your system less efficient and can ultimately lead to a total breakdown. Do yourself (and your system) a favor and schedule regular AC maintenance.

Is Your Outside Unit Running?

Perhaps the fan inside the furnace unit runs, but you aren’t feeling cool air coming out of your vents? Before you scramble to phone to call a residential AC repairman near you, there are a few things you can do to get your air conditioner back up and running.

Most air conditioners have a shut-off switch near the outdoor unit. It’s usually a metal box that’s hanging on your house. If someone has recently worked on the AC, they may have left it in the “off” position on accident.

Because the switch looks like a light switch, people often accidentally flip it to “off”. Setting it to “off” turns off the blower, causing the inside unit to freeze, which makes your entire AC system shut down. So make sure this power switch is in the “on” position.

Your Thermostat is Important

Your thermostat is an integral part of your AC system since it’s the control panel for this appliance.

If your thermostat is blank, broken, outdated, needs batteries, or another similar scenario, it can stop your AC from turning on. You can start by testing your thermostat yourself. You’ll need your home to be silent for this, and spare time to go through all the settings to see if they’re working properly.

If none of these issues were the source of the problem it’s time to call in an HVAC professional. Contact us now at Trust, and we will be happy to come to take a look.