Cold Air Not Flowing? 5 Easy Ways to Reset Your Air Conditioner
It’s a聽hot聽summer day in聽the U.S., and you’re聽relieved聽you have聽central air conditioning. But then you聽find聽your聽air conditioning equipment聽behaving oddly or not cooling聽as it should. Before you聽fret, try resetting your聽AC. This聽quick聽step often fixes聽minor聽issues and gets your system聽operating normally again.
Why Would I聽Need聽to Reset My聽Central Air?
All air conditioning systems have聽a protection circuit breaker. This safety聽mechanism聽stops聽electrical聽accidents, such as fires or explosions, that could聽arise聽from power surges or outages. When the circuit trips, resetting your聽air conditioner聽is聽necessary to get it聽working聽again.
Another聽thing that could lead you to have聽to reset the AC is if your unit is blowing warm air when it聽is supposed to聽be聽cooling.聽In this case, the聽culprit聽might be a thermostat聽malfunction.聽Sometimes, a simple reset is all it takes to聽correct聽the聽issue.
Although, it’s聽crucial聽to approach this聽job聽with caution. If you’re uneasy about resetting the AC聽yourself,聽reach out to聽a professional for聽assistance.聽Additionally,聽it's important to realize聽that tampering with your unit’s internal聽elements聽might void your warranty, so always check the guidelines before聽attempting this type of work.
5聽Methods聽for Resetting聽the AC
When聽small聽issues develop, a reset is a good聽place聽to聽start off to try and fix it. Here are five聽simple tips to reset聽the AC.
1. Reset聽the聽Circuit Breaker
Your home’s electrical panel聽houses聽the breakers for all your electrical circuits, including a聽dedicated聽one for your聽home comfort聽system. If the聽AC聽is having聽difficulty聽following聽a power surge or outage, try this聽method聽first.
Identify聽the electrical panel—commonly聽found in the garage, basement, crawlspace or utility closet—and聽search for聽the switch聽for your HVAC system. If the circuits aren’t聽labeled, you might have to聽experiment.聽Flip聽the circuit breaker off, wait 30 minutes, and then flip it .聽Then, turn the聽AC聽back on,聽make sure聽that the thermostat is set to “cool” and聽observe聽how the unit聽performs.
2.聽Press聽the Reset Button
If your聽air conditioner聽has a reset聽control, this is聽the easiest聽way to clear any聽slight聽bugs聽in the system. This small, red button is聽likely聽on or near the聽outside聽condensing unit,聽sometimes聽under a panel marked “Reset”. If you聽can't聽find it, reference your聽AC's聽owner’s manual or聽find a digital copy聽online.
Use these tips聽to reset聽an AC聽using the reset button:
- Turn聽your thermostat to the “off” setting.
- Turn off聽the circuit breaker that powers your聽HVAC.
- Click聽and hold the reset button for three to five seconds.
- Restore聽power to your AC by聽flicking聽the circuit breaker back on.
- Finally, set the thermostat to “cool” and聽set it to聽a temperature slightly聽colder聽than the current indoor temperature. The聽air conditioner聽should聽come to life聽in just聽a few seconds. If the air聽being blown聽from the registers聽is聽cool, you’re聽ready to go!
3.聽Flick聽the Isolation Switch
If you聽can't find the聽reset button,聽look聽for the isolation switch聽that is typically in the vicinity of聽the聽outside聽unit. This safety feature聽lets you聽turn聽off power to the聽AC聽when the unit malfunctions without聽affecting聽the rest of your home’s electricity. It聽typically looks聽like a dial with an “on” and “off” position.
Turn the isolation switch off, wait 30 to 60 minutes and then聽turn it back on. This manual reboot聽totally聽disconnects your聽air conditioning聽from power, allowing all electrical聽equipment聽to reset.
4. Unplug the聽AC
Is your聽AC聽still not聽performing聽as expected? The next聽AC聽reset聽strategy聽is to unplug the聽equipment. First,聽locate聽the shutoff panel near the聽outside聽unit and聽shut off聽the power to the compressor.聽Next, unplug the聽air conditioner聽from the power supply board. Leave the unit unplugged for聽a minimum of聽30 minutes to let any residual charge dissipate from the internal components, clearing any errors and giving the聽equipment聽a聽new聽start. If your聽air conditioning聽still聽won't work correctly聽after plugging it back in, the socket could be聽faulty. You’ll need a聽technician聽to聽correct聽this聽issue.
5.聽Work with聽a聽Professional
If nothing else works, or you’re聽not feeling confident in聽attempting聽the DIY tips above, hiring a聽pro聽is your best bet. A certified HVAC聽contractor聽can reset your system using聽particular聽tools and diagnose underlying issues that might not be聽solved聽with a simple reset.
Air Conditioner聽Still Not Working? Call the聽Pros聽at聽(866) 963-7996
If you’ve聽made an attempt at聽resetting your聽AC聽yourself and it’s still not聽working, don’t worry—黑料社区聽is here to help. Our聽ACE-certified technicians听辫谤辞惫颈诲别听别蹿蹿颈肠颈别苍迟,听诲耻谤补产濒别听AC repair, with聽your satisfaction guaranteed. If you’re not聽totally聽happy with our AC services in聽the U.S., we’ll make it right!聽Call聽us at聽(866) 963-7996 today聽so we can make your home a more comfortable place!
