AC Repair in Bishop, CA: How to Repair 3 Common Problems

There can be several reasons why your AC equipment won’t start: an overloaded circuit breaker, inaccurate thermostat settings, a turned off switch or an overflowing condensate drain pan.

Your air conditioning won’t work when you have a blown breaker.

To determine if one has blown, locate your home’s main electrical panel. You can locate this metallic fixture on the wall in the basement, garage or closet.

• Ensure your hands and feet are free of moisture before you touch the panel or breakers.
• Locate the breaker labeled “AC” and confirm it’s in the “on” location. If it’s overloaded the breaker will be in the middle of the panel or “off” position.
• Quickly move the switch back to the “on” position. If it instantly trips again, don’t reset it and reach us at 760-784-9034. A switch that keeps tripping could indicate your home has an electrical issue.

If your thermostat isn’t signaling your system to start, it won’t switch on.

The first part is making sure it’s on “cool” and not “heat.” Otherwise your AC might not turn on. Or you might receive. warm air moving from vents since the heater is going instead.

If you’re using a traditional thermostat:

• Put in new batteries if the monitor is clear. If the readout is showing garbled characters, replace the thermostat.
• Check the right option is on the display. If you can’t change it, override it by dropping the temperature and pushing the “hold” button. This will force your AC to work if programming is wrong.
• Try setting the thermostat 5 degrees cooler than the room’s temperature. Your AC won’t work if the thermostat is identical to the space’s temperature.

Once your thermostat is adjusted accurately, you should receive chilled air promptly.

If you have a smart thermostat, such as one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, check the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting. If you’re still having problems, reach us at 760-784-9034 for support.

Your system typically has a shut-down lever by its outdoor unit. This device is generally in a metal box hung on your house. If your equipment has recently been tuned up, the lever may have accidentally been put in the “off” location.

Condensate drain pans hold the additional water your system pulls from the air. This pan is located either below or inside your furnace or air handler.

When there’s an obstruction or clogged drain, water can become concentrated and trigger a safety setting to switch off your equipment.

If your pan involves a PVC pipe or drain, you can get rid of the extra liquid with a special pan-cleaning tablet. You can purchase these tablets at a home improvement or hardware shop.

If your pan has a pump, find the float switch. If the lever is “up” and there’s liquid in the pan, you may need to replace the pump. Call us at 760-784-9034 for assistance.

If your equipment is on but not delivering cold air, its airflow could be obstructed. Or it may not have adequate refrigerant.

Your unit’s airflow can be decreased by a plugged air filter or filthy condenser.

A dirty filter can create many troubles, like:

• Reduced cooling
• Frozen refrigerant lines or evaporator coil
• Uneven cooling
• Larger electricity costs
• Making your system wear out more quickly

We recommend replacing flat filters every four weeks, and accordion filters every three months.

If you aren’t sure when you last replaced yours, turn off your equipment completely and pull out the filter. You can find the filter in your furnace or air pump’s blower compartment. It may also be situated in a connected filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.

Tilt the filter up to your light fixture. If you can’t see through it you need to replace it.

Greenery, grass and bushes can block your condensing unit. This can limit its airflow, impact its energy efficiency and impact your comfort. Here’s a method you can follow to get your equipment working smoothly again.

1. Turn off electricity completely at the breaker or external switch.
2. Get rid of greenery debris around the AC. Once you’ve cleared bigger debris within a two-foot range, you can use a paint brush or vacuum to slowly clean the equipment’s fins. Kinked fins can also impact effectiveness, so you can attempt to adjust them with a dinner knife.
3. Use a hose nozzle to gingerly take off dirt on the fins from inside the equipment. Be careful to avoid getting liquid on the fan motor.
4. Replace the top and restore the power.

When AC units don’t have enough refrigerant, they’ll struggle to remove heat and humidity from your space.

Here are a couple of signs that your equipment is seeping refrigerant:

1. It takes a long time to cool your residence and you’re regularly lowering the thermostat.
2. Air conditioning coming through the vents isn’t as chilled as it should be.
3. You’re noticing hissing or gurgling sounds when the air conditioning is on.
4. Your evaporator coil is frozen as a result of having trouble absorbing warmth.

Suspect your system is leaking refrigerant? You need a licensed heating and cooling service specialist to take care of the leak and restore the correct level of refrigerant in your system. Reach us at 760-784-9034 for help.

When it appears like you’re not receiving adequate amounts of chilled air, there’s likely a clog or detachment within your air conditioning system.

• The beginning place is checking your air filter. Buy a new one if it’s filthy.
• Then ensure the registers are clear across your home.
• If you’re still not getting ample chilly air, you should have your ducts inspected by a expert like Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning. Your ducts could need to be serviced or reconnected in hard-to-reach locations like your attic, basement or crawl space.