Your air conditioner is able to withstand a lot of wear and tear of the years and keeps running through it all. However, if your area recently had a power outage while your air conditioner was running, you may be surprised to discover that it is not working afterward. While an air conditioner should be able to survive something as simple as a power outage, it can cause problems with the unit that you may not be aware of. Here is what you need to know about this unique situation.
What Can Become Damaged
Your air conditioner has some big motors in it that are not designed to turn off and on again real fast. That is why a common problem that can happen when the power cuts out for a moment is that the motor starts to fail in an outdoor compressor. You can also have the variable speed blower motor fail inside the home for the exact same reason. In addition, air conditioners have become more sophisticated over the years and there are now more things that can become damaged within them. This includes more advanced circuit boards that act as the brain of the air conditioner, and without them, they will stop working.
What You Can Do To Fix It
The best thing that you can do if you find that your air conditioner has stopped working is to shut down the unit and give it a break. This can involve shutting it down at the thermostat or physically shut off the power that is going to the air conditioner at the circuit breaker. A small break from having power running to it may be all that you need to give the air conditioner a little reset.
How You Can Prevent Accidental Damage
If your area has frequent power outages or blowouts, it may be worth investing in a surge protector for the components of your air conditioner. This can be installed by an HVAC contractor and give you the protection and peace of mind that you need for your air conditioner. You should also be shutting off your air conditioner when a big storm comes so that it is not running when the power potentially goes out.
What To Do If There Is Damage
If you can't get the air conditioner running again, it will be worth it to call a cooling contractor to get to the bottom of why it is not working. They can test individual components to figure out what is wrong and perform the necessary repairs to get the unit up and running again.
Share15 March 2021
Can furnace repairs be made by the average DIYer? If you know a little about what you are doing, is it possible to avoid the expense of having a professional come out to take care of any problems that you are having? My blog is all about furnace safety and repair. You will learn a few things that you can do on your own and advice for when to call in the professional repair technician to assist with the repairs. By the time you reach the end, you will have a better understanding of what you can and should not do on your own.
