Is your AC failing to turn on? Especially when you live in the Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek, Arizona, having an air conditioner during the Summer that is unable to turn on can be a significant cause for concern. For instance, you might wonder if this is a serious problem that may lead to an expensive repair or even replacement of your AC system.

Before you get too stressed out, first take a look at our 5 common reasons as to why your AC unit won’t turn on.

1. A Tripped Circuit Breaker

Your home’s electrical circuit breaker is a device that controls and protects your home’s electrical power system along with the electrical devices connected to it, such as your AC unit. When too much electricity flows through a circuit breaker, the circuit overloads, and the breaker will “trip” (turn off) as a safety mechanism to cut the flow of electricity keeping your circuits from overheating thus preventing serious damage.

If you suspect this could be the case, first go to your electrical panel (outside of your home) and find the breaker switch for the AC system. If you find that the breaker is flipped to the “OFF” position, simply switch it back to “ON.”

However, if you see that the breaker continues to trip (off), you should leave it off and call an  AC Repair company such as Eagle Air to make a professional assessment.  When a circuit trips repeatedly, this could cause serious damage to the electrical unit and possibly even lead to a fire.

2. A Blown Fuse

If you find that a fuse in your electrical fuse box gets blown when your air conditioner cycles on, this may indicate that you have a serious issue with your cooling system or your electrical circuits.

You may first want to shut off the power to your AC unit by flipping off the breaker switch from the breaker panel. If you don’t feel comfortable identifying and replacing the old fuse with a new one, call our AC Repair staff at Eagle Air to make a professional assessment diagnosis.

3. A Clogged Condensate Line

Without regular maintenance, sediment, mold and bugs can all clog an air conditioner’s condensate line. The condensate line is the pipe that enables moisture (water) collected by the evaporator coil to exit the system. So for example, the evaporator coil functions to remove humidity from the air by converting it into water and this water then drains into the condensate drain pan which in turn enters the condensate drain line, flowing down a condensate drain pipe where the water is directed to outside of your home.

If you feel comfortable doing so, you can clean out your condensate drain line with a wet/dry vac to suck out all the debris. Otherwise, you may want to call our expert AC repair team at Eagle Air.

4. A Thermostat Malfunction

When your Thermostat is malfunctioning, your AC unit may be unable to work correctly.

If you think there is an issue with your digital thermostat, check to see if it has been turned off as this is a common scenario. If the display is blank and the thermostat won’t turn on, try replacing the batteries. If your thermostat still isn’t turning on, you may simple need a new thermostat.

5. Your Air Conditioner May Need to be Replaced

We know no one wants to find out that their AC system needs to be replaced, but it may be an undeniable reality, especially if you have an older AC unit…(one that is 15 to 20+ years old).

To determine whether you need a new air conditioner, call the AC replacement/installation professionals at Eagle Air Cooling & Heating by calling 480-748-1781.