If you are having troubles with your air conditioner, before calling a contractor follow these steps to troubleshoot why your AC may not be running as expected. , or you can also check the lights on your radio receiver (located on your home). Was the AC unit on/running prior to controlling?
If yes, and we are controlling, then it's most likely in the middle of the control cycle so your AC unit won't run again until the cycle is over. Remember, during control periods your AC will cycle on and off. Cycle time will vary depending on your AC unit and the radio installed. Is the thermostat set to cool?
If not, you'll need to set it to cooling mode. Please note: If you are turning your AC unit on in the middle of a control period, your AC unit may not come on right away. It could take up to 30 minutes for it to cycle back on. We recommend turning your AC unit on in advance of hot weather to ensure the home is pre-cooled. Is the temperature on the thermostat set lower than the temperature in the house?
If no, set the temperature lower and listen for the AC unit to turn on.

We recommend turning your AC unit on in advance of hot weather to ensure the home is pre-cooled. 

If you have a programmable thermostat and are not able to see a display of the temperature, the thermostat has likely lost power or is disconnected somewhere. Call a contractor for help. Is the air conditioning circuit breaker turned on?
If yes, turn the breaker off, then on and wait 15-20 minutes for the radio to reset. Only do this once. Is the AC disconnect box (located outside by AC unit) circuit breaker in the ON position?
If not, pull out the handle and turn it to the position that says "ON". Be sure to push the handle back in. Are there any fuses in your air conditioners disconnect box?
If yes, are they good? Most hardware stores carry disconnect fuses and can test them. Is the furnace fan blowing air?
If not, that means a fuse or something in the furnace is disconnected and a contractor is needed for more trouble shooting.
If it is and your AC still does not turn on, call a contractor for help trouble shooting.

Still having issues?
If you've followed all of these steps and you are still having issues with your air conditioner call a contractor for help. If you do not contact a contractor and Connexus Energy comes out and determines our equipment is not the issue, there may be a trip charge assessed to your account. There is a 24-48 hour turn-around for a meter technician to come and check the off-peak equipment. convert ac unit to heat pumpIf the radio is not the problem, then the meter technician will bypass the radio control and you will have to call your contractor for more follow-up.air conditioner unit is blowing but not cooling If a contractor finds a problem with Connexus Energy's off-peak equipment, you can request the contractor to bypass the off-peak radio control.air handling unit qualification

As with all innovative energy conservation programs, there are some additional day-to-day measures you can take to minimize cooling costs and maximize the efficiency of the program. For additional energy saving tips, click here or call Member Services at 763.323.2650.A reader on the other side of the equator writes: It’s the middle of summer here, and the weather outside is sweltering. This wouldn’t usually be a problem, except that I am having major air conditioning problems in the office. We occupy a smaller office building where the air conditioning and heating is controlled by three panels located around the office where you can set the temperature. My problem is that, for whatever reason, my office is always a few degrees hotter than everyone else’s, including the boss’. The standard setting it is on now means that I have a constant sheen of sweat over me while at work and I’m finding it incredibly difficult to concentrate. My argument is that surely it is better for them to be cold, and bring a cardigan or jumper to work, than for me to be sweating.

It’s getting to the point where it is affecting my performance. How do I raise this with my boss? My off-hand remarks to the Office Manager and other people have not been listened to, and are usually countered with a “Really? A friend suggested I bring a fan into my office, but I thought that might be too passive-aggressive. I’m the most junior lawyer at my office, and I’ve been here 3 years. Given how contentious temperature control issues can be, I’m kind of amazed that this the first question I’ve received about them in nearly five years of writing this blog.I hate, hate, hate being hot, and I agree that it’s easier to warm up when you’re cold than to cool down when you’re hot. However, the majority usually rules on these kinds of issues — and especially so when you have a solution that you haven’t tried yet:  Bring in a fan, the most high-powered one you can find. There’s nothing passive-aggressive or otherwise weird about doing that; If the fan isn’t sufficient and you have a window, try a window-mounted air-conditioning unit.

That was the only thing that saved me from heatstroke at my last job. But if that doesn’t solve the problem and your colleagues aren’t willing to compromise, you need to do more than “off-handed remarks.” You need to actually have a serious conversation with whoever controls the temperature and explain that it’s affecting your ability to focus.One more thought: Can you ask about switching offices with someone who tends to be colder and would appreciate the sauna-like environs of your office?Are you an equipment owner with a question about air conditioning troubleshooting? page has some guidance that might help you get your air conditioner running. If you're working on a Trane unit, our page about troubleshooting Trane air conditioning controls has some tips about Trane's microprocessor controls that you might find useful. Are you a technician doing some air conditioning troubleshooting on a totally dead unit? Is it a nice hot summer day? Are your shoe soles already gummy from a previous service call on somebody's unit on a tar-paper roof?

Did you just finish a service call 20 minutes ago where you were sweating buckets wriggling around in somebody's steam-kettle attic? If you're done with your diet soda; grab your tools, crank up the can-do attitude, and let's go troubleshoot this air conditioner. This unit's acting dead, so check the breaker, check the disconnect and fuses, and check to make sure you have correct power supplied to the unit. If the breaker is tripped and/or a fuse is blown, check the unit for grounds or shorts. Disconnect the leads from the terminals and check for grounded, shorted, or open windings. Check the evaporator and condenser fan motors for grounded or shorted windings. Check the control and power circuits for shorts or grounds. If your air conditioning troubleshooting call is for a unit that has good supply voltage but is otherwise dead: If your supply power checks out ok, make sure the thermostat is turned on, that there is control power to it, and verify that it actually works.

If there's control power to the thermostat and it works, make sure the wires to the evap fan relay and condensing unit aren't broken at the thermostat, or somewhere between the thermostat and the Air conditioning troubleshooting when the evaporator fan won't run.Check for power at the evap fan relay.If it gets power but the contacts don't close, it has failed.If it gets power and the contacts close, but the fan doesn't run,Check for voltage on the load side of the relay, check the leads to the fan, test the fan windings and the capacitor, and check to see if something is stuck in the blower and stopping it from turning. Air conditioning troubleshooting when the Verify the cooling control signal from the thermostat. Check for refrigerant pressure. If the refrigerant has leaked, the low pressure safety will open and the unit will not run. If the oil safety switch has tripped, check the oil level. It will also trip if the contactor closes but the compressor doesn't run for some reason,

So check for open compressor windings, verify that the compressor terminal connections and contactor connections are tight, and verify that there is actually good voltage at the compressor when the contactor pulls in. If the high pressure safety is open, check your pressures. If head pressure has dropped below the cut in point of the safety, and it is an automatic reset type, the safety has failed. If the safety is a manual reset type, push the button and see if it will reset. Check the voltage monitor if there is one. If your voltage is within range of the setting, the safety contacts should be closed. If they're not, the monitor has failed. If there is a delay timer, check accross the control terminals. If the delay timer contacts never close, it has failed. If the safety contacts are closed, you should have control power at your contactor. If there is no control power at the contactor coil, check for a broken wire somewhere. If you have control power at the contactor coil but the contactor doesn't pull in, the contactor has failed.

page for contactor troubleshooting tips. If you're on an air conditioning troubleshooting call where the contactor pulls in but the compressor doesn't run, check for open compressor windings, verify that the compressor terminal connections and contactor connections are tight, and verify that there is actually good voltage at the compressor when the contactor pulls in. If it's a single phase compressor, check the start relay and the capacitors. The best way to test the start relay and capacitors is to replace them with new parts. If the condenser fan doesn't run, check the relay, motor windings and capacitor, and fan blade, the same way as with the evaporator fan. Be thorough as you trace down wiring and look for failed components, and always follow safety precautions during your air conditioning troubleshooting jobs. By the time you reach this point of air conditioning troubleshooting, you will have found the failed component and repaired or replaced it, and the unit will be ready to run.

For a few more tips on condensing unit troubleshooting, and some unusual condensing unit problems I've run into, see our Troubleshoot Air Conditioning Condensing Unit Air conditioning troubleshooting on a unit that runs but doesn't seem to be cooling efficiently. Check the evaporator and condenser fans. Verify the motors are the correct horsepower, that they rotate in the proper direction and at the correct rpm. Verify that the fan and blower blades are clean, that they're the correct size and pitch, and that they are turning in the right direction. Verify that the evaporator and condenser coils are clean and air flow is not blocked. Verify that the air filter is clean. Verify that the condenser is getting normal temperature outside air, and that another unit isn't blowing hot air into it. Verify that the evaporator supply and return ducting is not leaking; losing cold air or picking up warm outside air. At this point in this air conditioning troubleshooting job, attatch your gauges and check your pressures and temperatures.

Before we get started though, in case you're interested, on our Air Conditioning Manifold Gauges page I discuss a couple of my favorite brands of manifold sets. With the unit off and pressures equalized, verify that the system contains the correct refrigerant. You can do this by taking the temperature of the evaporator coil. It should match the pressure/temperature indication on your low side gauge or pressure/temperature chart. Run the unit and check operating pressures. When the space has cooled down and is about 5 degrees above design temperature, look for the following pressures and temperatures. Suction pressure should be in the range of 35 to 40 degrees below return air. Discharge pressure should be in the range of 20 to 35 degrees above ambient air. Superheat should be 20 to 30 degrees at the compressor. Subcooling should be 10 to 15 degrees at the outlet of the receiver or condenser. Air temperature rise through the condenser should be 20 to 30 degrees.

Air temperature drop through the evaporator should be 15 to 20 degrees. If all of your operating characteristics fall within these ranges, the unit is running good. If you're interested in more air conditioning troubleshooting tips, you might want to take a look at our They have troubleshooting diagrams, and more detailed information about how to evaluate direct expansion and chilled water type air conditioning and refrigeration system operating characteristics. At this stage of air conditioning troubleshooting, if there is still a concern about the unit not cooling properly, you will need to do a capacity check.Measure the air flow in CFM through the evaporator.Measure the wet bulb temperatures of the air entering and leaving the evaporator.Using a psychrometric chart or an enthalpy conversion table, convert the wet bulb temperatures to enthalpy values, and calculate the difference between the two values.Multiply the difference in enthalpy values times 4.5, which is a constant used in this calculation, and then multiply that product times the CFM.

This will tell you how many btu of heat the evaporator is absorbing from the air flowing through it.Yes, air conditioning troubleshooting often involves some mathematics. If the difference between design capacity and running capacity is minor, it can be adjusted by adjusting evaporator blower speed. If the unit is running at or near design capacity but still not handling the load of the space being cooled, the unit is simply too small. I hope this page has provided some useful tips about air conditioning troubleshooting, and please, feel free to contact us with any specific HVAC questions you might have, including questions about air conditioning on Guam, or refrigeration on Guam. Are you learning the HVAC Trade "on the job"?If you would be interested in developing your potential to become the finest HVAC Technician you possibly can by studying a complete, accredited HVAC Technician course at home; we highly recommend that you contact Penn Foster Career School and request their free, no-obligation information brochure.