Troubleshooting Common A/C Issues Before Calling a Repairman Troubleshooting Common A/C Issues Before Calling a Repairman Has your AC unit suddenly stopped working? If so, use the form or call (623) 201-5153 to get a free estimate for your repairs. What to Check Before Calling AC units are one of those modern day conveniences that Arizona residents simply can’t live without. Check the auto, cool, and temperature setting are at your comfort level. We actually receive calls for thermostats that aren’t set properly. Battery – some thermostats use a battery, if yours reads “battery” or “batt” take a moment to swap the old one for a new one to see if this fixed the problem. Dirt – remove the front panel of your thermostat to see if there’s any dust or dirt inside it. If there is dirt inside, you can use a can of compressed air to blow it out. Try not to hold the can too closely to prevent damaging and of the small parts within. Yoyo-ing the temperature – moving the temperature settings up and down can sometimes cause the compressor to overheat and stop running.

If you have a time delay circuit, you may have to wait for the compressor to reset. Try setting the temperature to 78 degrees and leaving it for half-an-hour. Dirty filters – most modern air conditioners use a return grill to circulate air, which typically has a filter, and many also have a filter at the air handler. Check these filters if you have them and make sure they’re not covered in dirt. A dirty filter can choke the air conditioning system and effect its performance. Crowding – sometimes the air handler is located in a storage closet. If yours is, be sure that you haven’t stuffed so much stuff into this area that the air handler is choking. Resist the temptation to use this closet for anything other than your air handler. Sometimes the circuit breaker can overload and turn off. You want to check your breaker by locating the circuit for the air conditioner and switching it off, then back on. Don’t just inspect it, actually turn it off and back on. This is a common issue that can be caused by a power surge or storm activity.

Inspect the Air handler to make sure power reaches it when you turn the system on. What to Do Next If after inspecting these common AC unit issues and your air conditioner still doesn’t run properly, it’s time to call the pros at Howard Air. You can use the contact form at the top of this page, click here to email us, or call (623) 201-5153. We always offer a free estimate and stand behind our work – just one last thing you need to worry about!coleman rooftop ac unit QUESTION: My old central air conditioner still works, but I wonder if I should replace it with a super-efficient one. portable air conditioning units second handHow much can I expect to save on my electric bills? how much to replace compressor on ac unit

Are the new natural gas cooling units efficient?ANSWER: Your old air conditioner probably has a SEER (efficiency ratio) of about 6 or 7. A new super-efficient electric unit has a SEER of 15. Installing one can cut your cooling costs by more than 50%. New natural gas central air conditioning units have an equivalent SEER as high as 27.New super-efficient electric air conditioning units use two-speed compressors and variable-speed indoor blowers. On the low energy saving speed (runs at high speed only on the hottest days), each cycle run time is longer. Indoor temperature swings between on-off cycles are virtually eliminated.The air gently circulates almost continuously and noise is reduced. With soft start, the initial burst of warm (cold in the winter) air from the ducts is eliminated. This is ideal for allergy sufferers because air cleaners are more effective and humidity levels, mold, mites, etc. are reduced.The indoor blowers use special electrically commutated motors. These not only provide true variable-speed operation for better comfort, but they use less than half as much electricity as standard blower motors.

The most efficient single-speed air conditioning units use scroll compressors. Scroll compressors have fewer moving parts than standard reciprocating piston compressors. Without pistons and valves, scroll compressors are quieter too.As scroll compressors wear over years of operation, they seal better and operate smoother than when they were new. Their basic design is reliable, and they should continue to operate at high efficiency levels for many years.If you have natural gas, there are gas-powered air conditioning units that use a no-compressor absorption process. These also heat your house in the winter.Another super-efficient gas central air conditioning and heating unit uses a compressor. With an equivalent SEER of 27, it can cut cooling costs by 75%. It looks just like a standard electric central air conditioning unit outdoors and is quieter.A small natural gas-powered engine runs the compressor. Since an engine can run at any speed, its microprocessor continually, fine-tunes the cooling output (17 levels) to the precise cooling needs of your house.

In the winter, this year-round gas air conditioning unit heats your house at more than 100% efficiency. It combines the heat pump principal with the excess heat from running the engine. This can cut your heating costs by half too.Write for Update Bulletin No. 528 showing a buyer's guide of super-efficient gas and electric central air-conditioning manufacturers listing efficiency, cooling capacity, compressor type and number of speeds, features and a savings-selector chart. Please send $2 and a business-size self addressed, stamped envelope to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244.What Sun Room Design Is Most Efficient?Q: I am planning the addition of a sun room to my house. I will use it for growing some plants and hope to get some free solar heating in the winter from it. Should I get one with a slanted or vertical front?A: Get one with a vertical or near vertical front. Although the slanted front designs are usually less expensive, they tend to overheat in the summer, even in northern climates.