Introduction
Our experts show you easy DIY solutions for the most common central air conditioning repairs. You’ll be up and running sooner and will save the expense of a service call.
We Keep Customers Comfortable with Reliable AC Repair, Maintenance, & Installation!
The objective of your air conditioner is to keep you and your family comfortable indoors. When an air conditioner fails, it may be both costly and inconvenient. Our team at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning makes air conditioning repair, installation, and maintenance a breeze.
Air conditioning services we provide include:
- AC Installation & Replacement
- AC Maintenance
- AC Repair
- Thermostats & Air Conditioner Units
Because each One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning facility is individually owned and run, you can rest assured that you will be served by a local expert.
We’ll arrive on time and work with you to meet your needs, preferences, and budget, ensuring that you’re fully delighted with our job! One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning offers the UWIN Guarantee on every job. We respect your time just as much as we respect our own.
So, if we don’t show up at your place when you expect us to, we’ll reimburse you. There’s no need to wait all day for an HVAC specialist to arrive at your home when you work with us!
1. AC Repairs
If your air conditioner isn’t operating properly, we’ll come to your house and swiftly identify the issue. If a repair is your best option, we’ll make sure it’s completed fast and correctly.
Many repair services can be completed on the same visit as the estimate because One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning locations keep their cars well-stocked.
2. AC Installation
For cost, efficiency, or other reasons, an old air conditioning unit may need to be replaced. Choosing an air conditioner, on the other hand, is never a one-size-fits-all situation. Our air conditioning experts come to your home to assess which air conditioner is ideal for you.
We’ll always work with you to take into account your budget, preferences, and other vital considerations for your comfort and that of your home.
3. AC Maintenance
Maintaining your air conditioner is critical since it can extend the life of your device. In fact, the US Department of Energy believes that by replacing filters on a regular basis, homeowners can improve their unit’s efficiency by 5 to 15%.
In addition, to stay valid, some manufacturer and repair warranties require annual system maintenance. We have a variety of annual maintenance plans to suit a variety of budgets and requirements.
Our membership options also feature member benefits such as priority service and product and repair savings.
Tools Required
- Adjustable wrench
- Drill/driver – cordless
- Insulated screwdriver
- Multimeter
- Needle-nose pliers
- Nut driver
- Socket/ratchet set
- Voltage tester
Materials Required
- Capacitor
- Compressed air
- Condenser fan motor
- Contactor
- Fuses
DIY Air Conditioning Service Repair
When central air conditioning breaks down during a heatwave, you may have to wait days for an HVAC repair specialist or an ac contractor to arrive, and the repair will almost certainly cost you several hundred dollars.
However, if you’re comfortable dealing with electrical and are prepared to spend about $50 on supplies, you can probably fix your air conditioning service yourself in about two hours and save approximately $225 in parts and labor.
We spoke with local HVAC repair specialists to acquire their best AC fan repair and maintenance advice. These pointers will assist you in dealing with the most common “poor cooling” and “no cooling” issues.
An affordable multimeter, a voltage sniffer, a set of insulated screwdrivers, and a socket set are all required.
If these AC fixes don’t work, at least you’ve addressed the most common issues, allowing your service technician to focus on the more difficult ones. You’ll also have years of trouble-free air conditioning with upgraded parts. Here’s where to begin.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Not Cooling the House?
Make Sure the Problem Isn’t the Furnace
Set your thermostat to air conditioning and lower the temperature. The problem isn’t in the furnace if the furnace fan turns on. Try resetting the furnace circuit breaker if the fan isn’t working. If the fan still won’t turn it on, contact a professional; the solutions provided here will not work.
After that, look at the outside condensing unit. The compressor (which makes a refrigerator-like sound) and the fan should be turned on. If this isn’t the case, follow the troubleshooting and repair steps outlined here.
Caution: Turn Off the Power
Before disconnecting the exterior disconnect or removing the condensing unit’s access panel, turn off the A/C and furnace breakers in the main electrical panel. Then check the cables coming into the contactor using a voltage tester to be sure the power is indeed off.
AC Doesn’t Work? Buy Parts
The AC contactor (relay) and start/run capacitor(s) (as shown below) are the most common and inexpensive components to fail. So, especially if your air conditioning repair unit is older than five years, it’s a good option to buy and install those parts right away.
The condenser fan motor can also fail, but it costs around $150, so don’t buy it unless you’re certain it’s the problem.
Find the nameplate on the condensing unit to order replacement parts (not your furnace). Make a note of the manufacturer, model, and serial number (or take a photo). Purchase the parts from an appliance store, a furnace dealer, or on the internet.
Project step-by-step
1. Learn the Anatomy of a Central Home Air Conditioner
A condensing unit that sits outside your house and an evaporator coil (also known as an A-coil) that resides in the plenum of your furnace or air handler are the two essential components of a central home air conditioner service system.
The heat from your home is transferred to the outdoor condensing unit by the refrigerant in the A-coil. To remove heat, the condensing unit fan blows outside air through the condensing coil.
The AC contactor, the start/run capacitor(s), and the condenser fan motor are all replaceable elements in the condensing unit. The compressor is likewise housed in the condensing unit, but only a professional can replace it. There are no serviceable parts on the A-coil.
2. Shut Off the Power
- Pull the disconnect block straight out of the electrical box next to the condensing unit.
- Use a voltage sniffer to check sure the power is truly off within the box.
- service for air conditioning turn off the electricity
3. Clean the Condenser Coils
- To clean the crud accumulation under the lid, aim your garden nozzle upward into the top of the condenser coil.
- Work your way around the coil completely. Then point the nozzle down and flush the debris down the coil fins with the nozzle.
- To flush out any leftover dirt, adjust the nozzle to a softer stream and squirt water directly into the coils.
- Clean the air conditioner’s condenser coils.
4. Test the Fuses
Two cartridge fuses are found in many disconnect blocks. Before you start working on the repairs, double-check them. A blown fuse indicates that a component inside the condensing unit is deteriorating.
So don’t just replace it and assume the problem is solved. Replace the parts, replace the fuses, and turn on the unit. If it blows again, call a pro because you’re dealing with a more serious problem.
How to Check Fuses In the Disconnect Block
- Connect the red and black leads to the opposite ends of each fuse with your multimeter set to the lowest Ohms scale.
- The fuse is fine if you obtain a numerical reading.
- A blown fuse is indicated by a zero, negative symbol, or an infinity symbol ().
- Remove the air conditioner fuse block.
5. Inspect the Inside of the Access Panel
The access panel can be found by following the electrical conduit from the home. Remove and store the access-panel retaining screws and the panel while the power is turned off.
Check for mouse nests or indications of chewing on wires and electrical contacts before replacing any items.
If you can safely perform electrical repairs and detect broken wires or chewed insulation, discharge the capacitor first. Repair the cables and clean out the nest after that. Otherwise, hire a professional.
How to Discharge a Dual Start/Run Capacitor
- Remove the retaining bracket from the capacitor.
- Then, between the HERM (or “H”) and the COMMON (or “C”) terminals, place an insulated screwdriver.
- Do the same thing with the FAN (or “F”) and “C” terminals.
- Simply make a short between the two terminals on single-mode capacitors.
- inspect the air conditioner’s access panel
6. Replace the Start/Run Capacitor(s)
At least one capacitor is found in every air conditioning service unit. To provide both motors an extra shock of power, the capacitor stores electricity and releases it during compressor and condenser fan beginning.
It also smooths out voltage fluctuations to prevent damage to the compressor and condenser fan motor. Capacitors can degrade with time, resulting in decreased startup power.
They could also fail in an instant. Gradual capacitor failure might go unnoticed for a long period, putting a strain on the compressor and condenser fan motor windings and causing them to fail prematurely. Because capacitors are inexpensive, it’s a good idea to change them every five years.
How to Replace a Capacitator
- Before disconnecting anything, take a photo of the cables (you may need a reference later on).
- Discharge the old capacitor’s stored energy.
- Pluck one wire off the old capacitor at a time with needle-nose pliers and snap it onto the corresponding tab of the new capacitor. The female crimp connectors should grip the capacitor tabs tightly.
- Check each connector for tightness by wriggling it. If it isn’t, remove the connector and bend the rounded sides to make it fit more snugly on the tab.
- Secure the new capacitor after you’ve switched all the wires.
WARNING: Before disconnecting wires or removing the capacitor from its bracket, make sure it’s fully charged.
7. Replace the AC contactor
An AC contactor is a $25 mechanical relay that switches 220-volt high-amperage current to the compressor and condenser fan using low-voltage electricity from the thermostat.
AC contactors can wear out and are one of the most prevalent causes of air conditioning failure. Even if your air conditioning contractor is in good working order, it’s a good idea to change it every five years or so.
Before disconnecting the cables, unscrew the original AC contactor. After that, relocate the wires to the new unit.
HVAC Troubleshooting: Swap out the AC contactor
- Remove a connector from the old contactor and place it in the same spot on the new one.
- Tighten the connectors as necessary.
- In the condensing unit, secure the new contactor.
- the ac contactor should be replaced
8. How to Test Your Repairs
- Remove the access panel and disconnect the block and reinstall them.
- Turn on the circuit breaker and furnace switch, then lower the thermostat and wait for the air conditioner to come on.
- The condenser fan should spin and the compressor should run.
- The fan motor is most likely shot if the compressor starts but the fan does not.
- Turn off the power and unscrew the screws that hold the condenser cover in place.
- Remove the fan blade and motor by lifting the lid.
- Secure the cover and reinstall the blade.
- Then turn the unit back on and see whether the fan turns on.
- If it doesn’t, you’ve given it your all and it’s time to seek professional help.
- Replace the air conditioner’s fan motor.
Be Patient at Startup
When air conditioners and thermostats are turned off and on, they include built-in delay features. The delay can last up to ten minutes. It may take much longer to reset an energy-saving device if you’ve signed up for one from your local power company.
If the unit doesn’t fire up after 30 minutes after you’ve installed the parts shown and reinstalled the disconnect block, repowered the circuit breaker, turned on the switch at the furnace, moved the thermostat to AC mode, and lowered the temperature below the indoor temperature, it’s time to call a pro.