As the winter season fades into a distant memory, many homeowners are starting to embrace the warmer weather. In the upcoming weeks, the sun might shine brighter, the days might feel longer, and the temperature might get a lot hotter. Eventually, there comes a time when the summer weather becomes too hot to endure. At this point, you’ll want to turn on the air conditioner and cool down from the sweltering heat.
Unfortunately, what if your AC won’t turn on for some reason? No matter how many times you tinker with the power switch, the air conditioner still doesn’t seem to be running. As frustration sets in, you may feel completely perplexed by why the air conditioner isn’t working. In some cases, you may need to contact an air conditioner repair service to find out what has gone wrong.
To help you troubleshoot this issue, below are the six possible reasons why your AC won’t turn on:
1. Your AC won’t turn on because there’s too much dust and dirt.
A likely reason why your AC won’t turn on is because of its poor upkeep. Dirt, dust, and debris all tend to quickly accumulate within an air conditioner system. When the AC unit is clogged with filth, this will affect its ability to operate efficiently or properly. If you haven’t been cleaning the air conditioner for a long time, there are probably excessive amounts of muck and grime within the unit.
Several air conditioner parts are especially vulnerable to dust and dirt, such as the air filters. Since this filter is designed to remove harmful pollutants from the air, it may become dirty rather easily. An unclean filter will obstruct the regular air flow of the AC system, potentially leading to equipment failure. To avoid this, you should make a habit of cleaning or changing the air filters on a regular basis.
2. Your AC won’t turn on because it’s too old & rusty.
Air conditioner problems become more frequent with growing age. The parts may deteriorate, the components can break down, and the equipment will naturally wear out over time. Once an air conditioner is more than ten years old, the risks of equipment failure will increase considerably. As the unit gets older and older, you may need to contact an AC repair service with alarming frequency.
Keep in mind that certain air conditioner parts may have less longevity than others. For instance, every air conditioner component might be working perfectly, all except for the dying condenser fan motor. If this is the case, it doesn’t mean you need a whole new AC unit. You can just replace the motor (or any specific part causing the problem) and the AC might turn on again after this fix.
3. Your AC won’t turn on due to the ice buildup.
Even though the winter season seems so long ago, this may not be your last encounter with frost and ice. You might feel surprised to find a buildup of ice inside your AC unit, particularly around the evaporator coils or the lines outside. The ice usually forms if the air filter is clogged or there is low refrigerant in the system.
This inefficiency means the AC does not have enough warm air passing the through the coil. As a result, the coil becomes colder than usual, which drops the temperatures below the freezing level. This causes internal parts of the coil and lines to collect ice all the way to the outside unit.
4. Your AC won’t turn on due to a thermostat problem.
A thermostat serves as the control panel for the air conditioning system. If your AC won’t turn on, the problem might potentially be traced back to this device. Some common thermostat problems include outdated software, faulty components, electronic glitches, and insufficient battery power. For troubleshooting, you can test the thermostat and check to see if all the settings are working properly.
5. Your AC won’t turn on because of the home’s wiring problem.
The problem with your air conditioner may not be an isolated incident. Inspect whether you can turn on the other electronics and appliances in your household. If several items do not have power either, this could signify an underlying issue with your home’s wiring system.
When the wires are broken or damaged, this may prevent sufficient power or communication from connecting to your household equipment, including the AC unit. You will need to contact an HVAC technician in order to resolve this issue.
6. Your AC won’t turn on due to a tripped circuit breaker.
A tripped circuit breaker can be the reason why your AC won’t turn on. As a safety measure, circuit breakers are supposed to shut off when they receive an overload of electricity. This often happens when too many appliances are being used at once, or an old appliance is hogging too much electricity. If there was a recent thunderstorm, the sudden power surge may have also tripped the circuit breaker.
To fix this issue, inspect the breaker box, specifically the breaker connected to the AC unit. If you discover the breaker has tripped, reset it and then try turning on the AC again. If the breaker shuts off again, there may be an underlying issue and you should contact an HVAC technician.
