Troubleshooting Central Air Conditioner Problems

From the State Fair, to one of the remaining Twins (or St. Paul Saints) home stands, Minnesotans are busy soaking in the final sultry days and nights of summer.

And, after a long day at work or play, returning home to a cool, dry house is a refreshing as a dip in the lake. Conversely, coming home to a noisy – or worse, completely silent – air conditioner is as frustrating as the ‘Closed’ sign staked outside my favorite beach at Nokomis.

Luckily, you can quickly troubleshoot – and yes, even repair – many of these problems yourself.  (And if not – you will at least be in a prime position to receive an accurate quote from a Minnesota-based central air conditioning repair professional.)

Below, find 5 common central air conditioner problems followed by proven troubleshooting tips:

1. The air conditioner has stopped working completely
   Take a deep breath and remember that oftentimes the simplest explanation is also the most plausible explanation.  If your air conditioner has stopped working, it is likely because it either has no power supporting it or something told it to stop working.  Therefore, start by looking for any tripped fuses or see if someone has sneakily turned the unit off.
2. The air conditioner compressor switches itself off
   Another reason your air conditioner may shut-off is due to high pressure. On an extremely hot day, the high-pressure switch of your air conditioner may trip, shutting off the compressor. You may be able to fix this problem by flipping the circuit breaker off, cooling the air conditioner compressor with water from a hose, and the switching the breaker back on.

   (Also, keep in mind that this year Xcel Energy launched its ‘Saver’s Switch’ program.  This program, designed to save energy, will automatically and briefly shut down air conditioners during peak demand times.  If you are one of 330,000 who signed up for this program, you may have come home during an ‘off’ cycl

3. Your air conditioner is making a lot of noise
   Dirty or obstructed fan blades are oftentimes the culprit of noisy air conditioning units.  See if this is the case by turning off your unit completely and checking the unit blades to ensure they are clean and unobstructed.  If you do see dirt or an obstruction, follow a tip from our Spring Air Conditioner Checklist and brush away any accumulated dirt or clean the unit with light water pressure from a garden hose.
4. The evaporator coils have frost build-up
   Frost can build up on an air conditioner if you allow it to operate when the external temperature runs below 60 degrees.  Switch your air conditioner off, and leave it off, until the frost completely melts away and the external temperature rises above 60 degrees.  Keep a close eye on your unit for the next several days for a recurrence of this problem.
5. Refrigerant is leaking from your air conditioner
   Low air pressure followed by the release of unpleasantly warm air will oftentimes be an indication of a refrigerant leak.  If you suspect a leak, the best advice we can offer is to call a professional immediately, as the leak could be anywhere in your line or unit coils.  Luckily, the repair will oftentimes be as simple as soldering a leak in your line or replacing a coil, meaning you will be back up and running in no time.

If you are experiencing any problems with your central air conditioner that we have not covered, or your problems recur after troubleshooting, contact Welter Heating and Air Conditioning or leave a comment below.

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Posted on Monday, August 30th, 2010. Filed under Welter My Shelter Air Tips. Tagged: air conditioner, central air conditioner, central air conditioning repair, central air conditioning repair minnesota. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.