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Homeowner Cooling Troubleshooting Checklist
This is probably the most common Summer-Time Complaint!
First things first. Please check all of the obvious things before calling for a service-call.
- Is the thermostat on "cool" and turned down below room temperature?
- Is the Power on to the indoor unit? Did you check the breaker?
- Is the Power on to the outdoor unit? Did you check the breaker?
- If yes to these, is the outdoor unit running?
- If no, see if the outdoor unit has a red reset button and push it (not all equipment does).
- If that didn't work, see if you have a condensate pump at the indoor unit. If you do, some pumps have a safety switch that shuts off the outdoor unit if the pump overfills and fails to pump. So check the pump to see if it is working.
- If that wasn't the problem, back outside at the unit there usually is a disconnect box mounted on the wall. Some of these have fuses or a breaker inside. If there is a breaker, make sure it didn't trip. If there are fuses, they should be checked. But please do not attempt this unless you are familiar with working with electricity.
After having checked all of these things and your unit still isn't running, now you can call for service.
If your outdoor and indoor units ARE RUNNING but not cooling, you will most likely need to make a service-call.
Below is a list of possible causes. Items in blue usually require a service call. Items in red however can be addressed, even fixed by the homeowner.
- Low refrigerant charge
- Refrigerant flow-related problem - restriction/bad metering device
- Poor efficiency- needs cleaning and servicing
- Bad reversing valve
- Bad compressor valves
- Duct leak in unconditioned space
- Clogged air filter
- Outdoor coils blocked or very dirty
- Open windows/poorly insulated
- Closed vents
- Humidifier running
If your outdoor unit is not running and/or won’t come on:
This is a very common problem, whether it is an air conditioner or a heat pump. Unfortunately, many times the service technician is dispatched only to find a simple problem that the homeowner could have fixed himself.
Below is a list of possible causes. Items in blue usually require a service call. Items in red however can be addressed, even fixed by the homeowner.
- Faulty thermostat
- Faulty contactor
- Faulty time- delay relay
- faulty thermostat cable
- Off on a safety device- (low pressure, low temp, high pressure, high temp...)
- Faulty control module
- Thermostat not set properly
- Emergency or shut-off switch turned off
- Blown fuse in panel box
- Circuit breaker tripped or off- (sometimes a breaker will trip but it won't move)
- Outdoor disconnect turned off- (some have an internal pull-out plug)
- Condensate pump safety switch opened- (check pump, usually located near indoor unit)
- Off on outdoor reset button
- Unit "locked-out"- (reset by turning off then turning back on)
The bottom causes in red are common problems and can be addressed by the homeowner.
Here is a checklist to go through before making a service call:
- Make sure there is a call from the thermostat
- Make sure no Emergency switches are turned off (including the furnace switch)
- Make sure the breakers for the indoor and outdoor equipment are in the "on" position- reset if necessary
- Make sure the outdoor disconnect is on- some have internal fuses or circuit breakers- if you know how to check fuses you may do so
- If you have a condensate pump with a safety switch, check to see if the pump is completely full of water- If so, make sure pump is plugged-in and hose isn't clogged (could be a bad pump)
- If your outdoor unit has a "Reset Button" press it- if that was the problem and you have to press it a second time, there is a problem and a service call will be needed
- Your unit could have a safety device locking it out. Reset it by turning system off at thermostat or breaker, wait 1 minute and turn back on. Wait up to 10 minutes to see if outdoor unit starts
We hope this helps. Remember, these are just rough guidelines and not all possible situations are covered.
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