We all love and appreciate our air conditioners, particularly in the hot summer months. If the unit is working correctly, it’s easy to forget a time without AC, but what happens if something goes wrong? Do you know what to do when your air conditioner won’t turn off?
Surprisingly, one of the most common issues that people experience with their AC is the unexpected inability to turn it off. This problem can seriously affect your budget and energy consumption, so it’s best to address this problem as soon as possible.
When Your AC Won’t Shut Off
The best thing to do is to call an HVAC expert like USA Air Conditioning Services on 866-983-0488 For our friendly team of experts to diagnose the problem sooner, though, there are some steps that you can take when you AC won’t turn off.
Check the Thermostat
You may find your thermostat not reaching the set air conditioning temperature. This irritating snag might be because the temperature is set too low, or because there is some other fault with the AC itself.
A thermostat set to unreasonably low temperatures will tell the AC to keep working continuously until it finally achieves the desired setting. If your AC unit can’t reach this temperature, it will keep itself turned on trying to reach that temperature.
The best way to check if your thermostat is responsible for the AC not turning off is to set it to room temperature or slightly above. If everything is working correctly, the AC should turn off since it’s reached the desired temperature. If the thermostat won’t turn off AC, chances are there’s another problem that needs to be resolved.
Clean the Condenser
Your AC works by passing air over condenser coils which remove the heat from the air. If these condenser coils are dirty, they can’t cool air as effectively. The extra layer of grit pushes your AC to work harder to cool the air down.
In many cases, it won’t be able to reach the correct temperature you set, causing the AC to keep on continuously while trying to cool the room down.
You can test if this is the issue by simply checking your condenser coils for dirt and debris. If they haven’t been cleaned recently, wipe the filters down, ensuring they’re clean before retesting your AC.
Have You Done Routine Maintenance?
The best way to keep your AC working is to perform routine maintenance regularly. Maintenance involves cleaning the unit, including the air filter and condenser coils as well as checking the unit for any malfunctioning electrical problems. You can do this maintenance yourself, or you can get a professional to do it for you.
Keeping everything clean and identifying issues early avoids escalation. Early warning signs include things like your AC running constantly, or not shutting off when a set temperature is attained. By taking a little bit of time, you can save a lot of money and effort in the future.
Check the Fan Limit Switch
The fan attached to the AC unit can either work independently of it or only when told to by the thermostat. Many air conditioning units have a fan limit switch near the blower that allows for a manual override. When this override is engaged, the fan will continue running, regardless of what the thermostat’s instructions are.
Sometimes this switch can get flipped accidentally, so check and make sure that it’s set to ‘auto’ instead of ‘manual.’ By switching it to auto, you force the fan to run when instructed to by the thermostat. This confusion may stop the AC from running when the thermostat has reached the desired temperature.
You Might Need a Professional
Air conditioners are like all other machines in that they can, and will, break at some point. Sometimes you can repair the issue with a minor fix, while other times you may need a more professional touch.
If your AC just won’t turn off, give USA Air Conditioning Services a call on (866) 983-0488. Our HVAC experts will be right over to check your AC unit and repair it as soon as possible. We understand that issues like this can be frustrating and expensive, which is why we do everything to resolve your issue to your satisfaction.
