Most Common AC Problems

When you turn your central air conditioner on and the outdoor unit does not come to life, these are some of the possible reasons:

• Your AC might not be getting power because of a defective breaker or a burned or disconnect wire
• AC contactor might be defective
• AC thermostat could be damaged
• AC transformer might be faulty
• Squirrels or other rodents sometimes chew through low voltage wires
• AC contactor wire might have burned off

If the AC circuit breaker fails when you turn your unit on, check:

• AC breaker could be weak
• AC compressor might be grounded
• AC condenser fan motor could be damaged
• AC contactor might be shot

If your AC unit makes a humming sound,  but the fan does not run, check:

• AC fan motor might be defective
• There could be a burned wire
• AC capacitor could be faulty

If the unit fan on your AC runs but the compressor shows no signs of life, check:

• One of the compressor wires could be burned
• AC compressor might be defective or placed on overload protector
• AS start capacitor might be faulty

If the outdoor unit on your AC runs, but no fan turns on inside the house, check:

• Your AC blower motor might be defective
• AC capacitor could be broken
• AC evaporator coils could be dirty or overgrown with garden debris and need to be cleared
• AC filter might be blocked with dust, dirt, pet hair and other debris and need to be replaced
• One of the wires might have burned out
• AC fan center might not be working

If your AC is leaking water inside the house, these are things to check for:

• Your drain might be clogged up
• Evaporator coil pan is possibly rusted out

If ice is forming on lines at the AC condenser, check for:

• AC evaporator might be dirty and need thorough cleaning
• AC filter might be dirty and need to be replaced
• AC might be low on refrigerant
• AC blower motor or blower motor capacitor might need to be replaced

If your AC thermostat is not providing the temperature that you have set, check:

• Your AC thermostat might not be calibrated correctly
• Your AC thermostat might be defective and need to be replaced

More Air Conditioner Parts, Repair Help, Maintenance Advice and more

Tagged as: AC circuit breaker fails, AC leaking water inside the house, AC runs but compressor dead, AC runs but no fan, AC thermostat defective, AC unit makes a humming sound, ice forming on AC condenser lines