Has your air conditioner ever quit working and you called in an air conditioner repair service only to have the technician come in, flip your breaker, charge you an arm and a leg and leave...after staying at your home for a grand total of 15 minutes? Of course, this leaves you red-faced and with a lighter pocketbook.
First Things First
When it comes to do-it-yourself (DIY) air conditioner repair checking your breaker is easy to do and easy to fix. You just flip the breaker back on and you will be in business again.
With that being said a word of caution is in order. Your breaker will trip on occasion. If this occurs very infrequently there is really no issue. You flip the breaker back on and things will work normal.
If your breaker trips often though, it is time to call a competent air conditioner repair service. There might be a serious underlying problem that is causing your unit to trip the breaker. Don't hesitate as this could lead to safety issues in your home. Left alone the problem could escalate and cost hundreds, or even thousands of dollars in repairs or replacement.
Do It Correctly
Checking your breaker is a relatively easy thing to do. After determining that your breaker has tripped and turned your system off make sure you flip it back on correctly. While this might seem to be a no-brainer a wrong step here could cost you money and time without your system working. The steps to turning your breaker back on and getting your air conditioner unit up and running again are simple:
- Make sure the thermostat is set to cool.
- Go to your home's breaker box.
- Locate the breakers for the air conditioner. There will be two breakers tied together and they should be labeled something like, "AC" or "Air Cond.”
- The breaker may not appear to be "OFF” or tripped. Go ahead and push the breakers to the off position. This may take a little force.
- Using the same amount of force that you used to turn the breakers off, flip the switches to the "ON" position. You may have to use the palm of your hand or several fingers to apply enough force to move the breakers to the on position. You should hear a fairly loud click when the switches are flipped back on.
- Your air conditioner unit should turn on at this time. Some units have a built in delay so your system may not turn on for several minutes. Check to see if the unit comes on and also check to make sure it is blowing cold air.
The steps above are pretty simple when it comes to DIY air conditioner repair but you do want to follow the procedure. This may save you from headaches and money at a later date.
Save the Embarrassment
Often your breaker will trip and there will be no big issue related to it. Just flip it back on and your system will start right back up. If your breaker tripping continues to be a problem make sure you call a Chico area air conditioner repair service as you might have a larger issue.
When it comes to DIY air conditioner repair checking your breaker can save you from embarrassment and from spending unnecessary dollars. This simple step should be one of the first things you check when your AC system quits working.
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