Trouble Shooting Air Conditioners

Spring And Summer Maintenance Checklist


Keep your cool with simple A/C maintenance

• Clear leaves, brush and dirt from inside your air conditioner’s top grille.
• Trim nearby shrubs and bushes to allow at least two feet of clearance around the unit.
• Set the thermostat to cooling mode and run your air conditioner a few minutes to make sure it’s working.
• Schedule an annual checkup of your air conditioning system.
• Replace your air conditioner filter once a month. Dirty filters restrict air flow and can waste energy.
• If you use a room air conditioner, install it on a north-facing wall to keep it out of the sun.
• If it’s time to replace your air conditioner, look for an ENERGY STAR® qualified model to help reduce cooling costs up to 20 percent.

Don’t let April showers bring May mildew

• Clear leaves, pine needles and other debris from gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage. Check that they’re stable to avoid flying debris during storms.
• Be sure downspouts slope away from your house. They should carry water at least 5' from foundation walls.
• Position lawn sprinklers so they don’t spray your home’s walls.
• Examine window and door seals and weatherstripping. Reseal if needed.
• Move furniture a few inches away from the inside of exterior walls to increase air circulation.
• Check windows for condensation and walls for water stains, which are signs of too much humidity.
• Keep your home’s relative humidity between 30 – 50%. A humidity control system such as Humiditrol® can safely control humidity.

Take control of home energy costs

• Reduce air leaks in your home by caulking, sealing and weatherstripping around doors and windows.
• Use exhaust fans to reduce moisture in the kitchen or bath, but turn them off when they’re no longer needed.
• Make sure your refrigerator’s seals are airtight. Test by closing the door over a dollar bill. If you can pull the dollar out easily, the seal may need to be adjusted.
• Wash only full loads in your dishwasher and clothes washer.
• Turn off lights you don’t need to save energy and reduce extra heat in your home.
• If it’s time to replace your air conditioner, choose an energy-efficient model with two-stage cooling, such as the XC-14 from Lennox. Two levels of operation allow you to rely on the low setting most of the time.
• Prepare dinner on your outdoor grill to help reduce your air conditioner’s load.
• Check ducts for air leaks, including holes or separated sections.


Air Conditioner Troubleshooter

Step One:
The first thing you should always check when having issues with your air conditioner is whether it is turning automatically or not. You can find this out quickly by ensuring that your thermostat is set to "cool". Next, make sure that the temperature on the thermostat is set lower than the temperature in the home.

Have a look at your electrical connections - Is there a blown fuse? A tripped circuit? Is the power switch set to ON for your furnace and condenser?

Step Two:
Next lets have a look at the blower unit. Sometimes an air conditioner gets clogged up, and does not put out enough air flow. To check this, go outside to your air conditioner housing. Check for damage to any blades or debris in the blower.