Owner’s Guide: Why Did My Air Conditioner Stop Working?

When summertime arrives in Brantford, you need your air conditioner to be running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. But what if your air conditioner’s not working? What should you do?

The cooling experts at Crystal Heating and Cooling are here to troubleshoot your air conditioner issues to get it back up and running as quickly as possible. We’ve listed below some of the most common air conditioner problems you may experience and what you should do for each situation.

Issue #1: My A/C Isn’t Blowing Cold Air

You’ve turned your AC system on but you’re noticing that it isn’t blowing out any cold air. First, double check that all of your vents are open and that your thermostat is set properly to your desired temperature.

If it’s still not blowing cold air, your next step should be to check your filter. If you haven’t changed it recently it may be clogged with dirt or other debris which could be blocking the airflow.

To avoid this issue, make sure that you’re replacing your air filter at least every quarter, and even more often if you have pets. If you’re not confident in remembering to switch out your filter on a quarterly basis, sign up for our Air Filter Subscription Program.

Is your air conditioner still not blowing cold air? Time to call a licensed air conditioner technician to come inspect the unit.

Issue #2: My Air Conditioner Isn’t Blowing Cold Enough Air

Similar to the first issue, start by checking that all of your vents are open. Even if just one of them is closed, it can make it that much more difficult to cool down your home because the warm air from that room will collide with the cool air from the other rooms where the vents are open.

Another reason this issue occurs is because your system is either wearing out and needs to be replaced or it’s actually the wrong size for your home.

If the system is too large for your home it will cycle on and off more often, actually reducing its efficiency.

If your air conditioner is too small, it has to work overtime to cool your home, which usually leads to the inability to cool your home entirely. This will also shorten the unit’s lifespan, forcing you to undergo a costly replacement sooner than should be necessary.

Issue #3: My A/C Unit is Leaking Water Inside

First thing’s first – if your air conditioner is leaking water inside your home, turn it off immediately to avoid costly water damage. What is most likely happening is your condensate drain line is clogged up which has caused water to back up into your home.

If you’re a DIY kind of person you can try using a wet/dry vacuum to unclog the line.

If you’re not into the DIY remedies or you tried and water is still leaking, your drain pan may have rusted out or the pump may be broken. If this is the case, it’s time to call Crystal Heating and Cooling and one of our technicians can come and replace or repair the damaged parts.

Issue #4: My A/C Unit is Leaking Water Outside

With hot and humid days that are so common during southern Ontario summers, you may have noticed a little puddle of water under your condenser unit outside. This is completely normal when weather temperatures spike this high if the unit is working.

It’s also normal to experience this during cooler days after an air conditioner freezes up because the unit can leak as the frozen water starts to melt.

If your air conditioner starts leaking in other circumstances than the ones listed above it’s probably time to clean or replace your air filters.

If that doesn’t fix the problem, give Crystal Heating and Cooling a call to book a maintenance appointment. At this point, you could have a blockage in your drain pipe, need more refrigerant or have a broken condensate pan.

Issue #5: My Air Conditioner Won’t Turn Off

Of all the issues to have with your air conditioning unit, we can all agree this is one of the better issues to experience! If you’re noticing that your AC unit is staying on longer than it’s supposed to be, it could be due to a dirty filter.

If you replace the filter and the issue still isn’t resolved it could be due to your system being too old or not properly sized. Both of these scenarios can cause your AC unit to work overtime, cycle too often, and eventually lead to difficulty shutting off.

Other issues that could be occurring include a stuck fan relay, a short in the thermostat cable or a thermostat that has gone bad. If it’s possible that one of these are the issue, it’s best to give us a call to come take a look at the unit to determine the proper fix.

Once your air conditioning unit has been repaired, try to stick to a scheduled appointment with Crystal Heating and Cooling each year for a routine maintenance checkup. By signing up for our air conditioner maintenance packages, your system will last longer, work more efficiently, and save you money on your energy bills in the long run.

Are you still having issues with your home’s air conditioning that requires professional help? Contact Brantford’s air conditioning experts today and stay cool all summer long.