Just as your computer malfunctions from time to time, so too can your air conditioner. It’s very common for your unit to require a reset after a breaker is tripped due to a power surge. Understanding how to reset your system can help to save you some green, as you won’t need to call in a professional to do it for you.
Top Reasons to Reset Your Air Conditioner
Unfortunately, your AC unit may experience malfunctions at some point. One of the most common reasons for you to experience a malfunction with your system is that the power goes out at your home. Your air conditioning system has a protective measure that helps to shut down your unit so that it doesn’t experience a power surge that could ruin its internal components.
Another common reason that you may need to reset your air conditioner is that your outdoor compressor unit experienced a malfunction. This problem is typically easy to diagnose since the indoor unit will remain running while the outdoor unit will not. Understanding how to identify the issue can allow you to easily reset your cooling system so that it’s back up and running in no time.
Restarting After a Power Outage
It’s not uncommon for your air conditioning system to not kick back on after a power outage has occurred. Most of the time, you’ll need to manually reset your AC unit. You’ll want to turn off your cooling system via your thermostat before you attempt to reset it.
Next, head to your electrical panel box. This is commonly located in the basement, laundry room, or garage. Find the circuit breaker that has a label for your air conditioning system. Turn it off. Give it about five minutes, and then turn the breaker back on.
While you may be tempted to head right to your thermostat to turn your air conditioner back on, you shouldn’t do this. Your system will need a solid 30 minutes to reset itself internally. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Once your timer goes off, go ahead and turn on the thermostat.
You’ll want to ensure that your thermostat is set to the cooling function and the desired temperature is at least five degrees cooler than the room temperature it’s currently reading. If so, your air conditioning system should kick back on. If your AC unit doesn’t turn on, you may need to call in a professional to assess further internal damage to your system.
Fixing Outdoor Compressor Problems
You may run into an issue where your air conditioner sounds like it’s working, but it’s no longer cooling down your home. One issue may be that your outdoor compressor unit simply isn’t working. If you head outside and don’t hear a low hum, it’s likely that you may need to reset your outdoor compressor unit.
Start by locating the disconnect box that’s near your outdoor compressor unit. It should have a master shut-off switch. Turn this switch off. Then, proceed to your electrical panel and turn the circuit breaker off that’s attached to your AC unit.
You’ll need to give your system about 30 minutes to completely reset on an internal level. After the 30 minutes is up, it’s time to turn the circuit breaker for your air conditioning system back on. Head back up to the disconnect box located outside and turn the master shut-off switch back to the on position.
Your outdoor compressor unit should switch back on, and you should hear the low humming sound coming from it. If you don’t hear it humming and there’s still no cold air being produced inside of your house, it’s time to contact an air conditioning professional to assist with the issue.
Resetting Your Thermostat
If you start to notice that your thermostat isn’t regulating the temperature like it used to, it may need to be reset. Depending on the type of thermostat that you have, this is typically done in one of two ways. First, some programmable thermostats have a manual reset button that you’ll need to press.
To help avoid unintentionally hitting the reset button, it’s manufactured to be very small, so you may need to unfold a paperclip to push the button in. With other thermostats that don’t have a manual reset button, you’ll likely need to install the batteries backward. Wait five seconds, and then reinstall the batteries correctly.
Quality AC Services
With the warm weather that Tampa, FL, has to offer, it’s a necessity to have a quality AC company that you can rely on. Fortunately, Ahoy! Cooling & Heating offers quality residential and commercial cooling, heating, and indoor air quality assessment. Give us a call today to learn more or schedule an appointment.