When the temperature is soaring, we tend to rely very heavily on our AC unit to maintain a cooler temperature indoors. When your AC unit fails to deliver, it tends to lead to periods of anxiousness and frustration, but if you know what to check, there’s a good chance you can ‘fix’ the problem yourself providing it is not too technical in nature.
First check the setting on your thermostat and that it hasn’t been accidentally switched to ‘heat’ from ‘cool’. It is also worth checking the battery in your thermostat. Beyond that, also check to see if you have the fan switched to “on” as opposed to “auto”. If the fan is switched on, the fan will operate even if the AC unit isn’t working, so all you may be doing is recirculating warm, stale indoor air.

If the setting on the thermostat has been mistakenly altered, then look to reset it to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the optimum temperature setting for a combination of indoor comfort and AC running costs.

Once you have checked the thermostat, if you haven’t found a problem, it’s time to check the air filter and ducting. Make sure the air filter is clean and that there are no cracks or leaks in the ducting that could be letting in warm air.

Finally, check the AC unit itself, and especially the refrigerator coils. They should be dry and clear of any dust or debris. If they appear to be frozen, this is a sign that the refrigerant isn’t flowing correctly through them. If there is the sign of a leak, it could be that the refrigerant level has dropped and the AC unit is unable to cool any air. Don’t forget to check the outside unit as well!

When it comes to fixing problems with the AC unit itself, and particularly any refrigerant-related problems, leave this to a qualified heating engineer as the coolant is not something to play around with if you have had no specific training.

If your AC unit is blowing out warm air and you haven’t been able to find or fix the problem, please give us a call and we’ll come out and sort things out in next to no time.