If an air conditioner doesn’t start up when needed, or if it starts up but fails to provide the level of cooling that a home actually needs, what’s the homeowner to do? Call for AC repair in Queens, NY, of course.
But wait a minute—first, that homeowner should always check the thermostat.
Now hold on just a second, everyone knows how to use a thermo—
We know, we know. Everyone knows how to use a thermostat. But we all make mistakes from time to time, right? Doesn’t it make sense to rule out a simple fix before an AC repair technician shows up to do something that anyone could have easily done on their own? We know that it sounds kind of funny, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’ve seen this issue happen in real life time and time again. So read on, and keep the thermostat in mind next time the air conditioner is not operating properly.
What Kinds of Issues Might Be Overlooked?
We’ll preface this by saying, again, that some of these examples may seem obvious. But considering the stressful nature of an uncomfortably hot house with a broken down air conditioner, it’s a bit easier to understand how these oversights might happen. Homeowners should always keep the following scenarios in mind before deciding that professional air conditioning repairs are needed.
- Improper temperature settings. This is the most obvious of all the potential issues. Remember, however, that the temperature need not be set very wrong to allow for this issue. It may have been adjusted, and it may have been adjusted recently, but the temperature still may have simply been set higher than intended. This is especially likely when one uses an old, non-digital thermostat. Double check the settings, turn the temperature down, and see if the AC kicks on.
- Fan-only mode. This is a more likely scenario. The thermostat has been set, and it is definitely hot enough for the AC to have come on. What gives? Well, if the system is set to “fan only” it will still be running. Air will still be circulating. But it won’t be cooling the home. Because that’s not what fans do! Switch it over to cooling and it should be all set.
The Child Factor
Parents love their kids, but let’s be honest—they can be a handful sometimes. And, as any parent will attest to, telling them not to touch something pretty much guarantees that they will touch something. If the thermostat was set to an appropriate temperature, and if it was definitely set to cool, the next question is: how tall are the kids? If the answer is “tall enough to reach the thermostat,” well, it’s clear where we’re going with this.
Then, Contact Us!
It is entirely possible for a thermostat to malfunction. If it is set right, and the system isn’t operating the way it should, then, by all means, give us a call. We can replace an old, nonfunctional thermostat, or simply upgrade an existing one to a more modern design with better features to improve comfort and efficiency at the same time.
Schedule professional AC services with Yost & Campbell Heating, Cooling & Generators.