Did you know that almost 90% of American households have air conditioning of some type in their homes?

Air conditioning is essential for homes in hot climates and for those who want to keep cool during the warm summer months, so it’s important to keep up with your AC system maintenance.

But what happens if your air conditioning won’t work? Your first reaction might be to get annoyed, but that’ll only get you hotter, so instead, cool off and have a look at how you might be able to fix the issue with our guide.

10 Things to Try When Your Air Conditioning Won’t Work

Getting the experts in to fix your AC unit can cost anywhere between $150 to $300. That’s why if you want to save some money, you should really check if you can fix your broken air conditioner first. Here’s what might be wrong with it and how you can try and fix these problems:

1. Change the Thermostat Batteries

One reason your AC isn’t working could be because the batteries of your thermostat are dead.

This is a very simple fix that you can do within a matter of seconds. If your AC screen is blank and not turning on try to change the batteries and see if it fixes the problem.

2. Flick the Disconnect Switch

Your AC system will have an indoor and an outdoor disconnect switch. If either of these has been accidentally switched off then your AC unit won’t work. Make sure you check your indoor and outdoor disconnect switch.

3. Check Your Air Filter

Your AC system might have turned off because the air filter is clogged. You might not even know that it’s clogged because sometimes it can still look clean. However, if your AC is on but it’s not cooling your home, then it might be because your air filter is clogged.

Be sure to change your air filter to stop it from getting clogged. It’s advisable to change your air filter every few months.

4. Reset Your Circuit Breaker

Another thing to try is resetting your circuit breaker. A broken central air conditioner could happen if the circuit breaker has been tripped, so simply resetting it might be able to fix your AC unit.

However, if the breaker keeps on tripping then you should check the circuit because it could be a sign that it’s overloaded and needs to have fewer appliances plugged into it. Removing additional appliances might help to prevent the circuit from tripping.

5. Replace Your Coil

You might experience your AC fan not working, even though you’ve checked your circuit breaker and air filter. If the fan isn’t working then your coil might have frozen. Check for ice on the evaporator coil and if there is ice, let it melt and see if this fixes the problem.

If the fan still doesn’t work, once the ice has melted then your coil might be frozen. The air conditioning belt or motor might have broken and so this will require an HVAC technician to come in and repair it for you.

6. Change the Fuse

The fuse that connects to your thermostat might have blown, so you might need to change the fuse. Blown fuses mean that your air conditioning won’t work again until the fuse is changed.

Changing the fuse might sound like an easy fix. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you might do more damage than good. That’s why it might be better to call in an HVAC technician to change the fuse for you.

7. Check Your AC Pan

Check your drain pan, which is under the AC unit. This drain pan might have become clogged or might be full of residue, if this is the case then it might break your AC unit. To fix this problem you need to clean the pan which can be done using compressed air (or alternatively calling an HVAC professional).

Remember that you can avoid your drain pan from becoming full by regularly getting your unit serviced.

8. Make Sure Your Vents Are Open

Make sure all your vents are open. A closed vent will stop your air conditioning from properly cooling your home. Even if one of your vents is closed then this might be able to stop the unit from working, because the warm air in that vent will mix with the cooled air from the other vents.

9. Replace Your Capacitors

Capacitors are found in your outdoor unit. These capacitors hold power and make sure your air conditioner works and stays on.

The capacitors are an essential component when it comes to your AC unit, but unfortunately, they don’t last forever. So if your AC isn’t working properly, then you (or an HVAC technician) might need to replace the capacitors.

10. Change the Thermostat Settings

When your AC doesn’t turn on, changing the settings on your thermostat might be able to rectify the problem. Make sure the thermostat is set to cool and that the set temperature is below the room temperature. If that doesn’t work then have a look at this article on what to do if your air conditioner won’t turn on to see if you can fix the problem.

And if all else fails, or you don’t feel comfortable enough to fix it yourself, it might be time to call in a professional. HVAC technicians can repair your AC unit and replace it for you if it’s old and broken beyond repair.

Don’t Sweat It, Fix Your AC

It can be infuriating when your air conditioning won’t work, but don’t sweat it! Instead, keep calm and follow our guide on how to fix it. Some air conditioning problems can be fixed by yourself and with little tools or know-how, so before you call in the experts, make sure you try out our tips.

If you found this article insightful, be sure to check out some of our other articles.