Air Conditioners have become a vital part of our lives no matter which part of the world we live in. If we do not have one at home, we most definitely find them at our place of work or in stores and malls where most us shop or hotels that we visit. For some it is Luxury, but for many, (around 70%) it is a necessity. People who live in Tropical climate or in the Gulf Region or places where it is mostly hot throughout the year cannot think about a life without an Air Conditioner (AC). So what happens when these poor souls face a situation where their precious AC is not functioning properly in the middle of the day when the sun is beating down on them with all its might? Waiting for the expert from the company to come and service may not be an option that one has.

Well have no fear; I am going to share few ac troubleshooting steps that may come handy when faced with this kind of situation. My Parents worked in Oman and I grew up in a hot country, where every household had at least one AC, no one could do without it. I was a inquisitive kid, I always tried to Troubleshoot minor issues by myself and on many occasions I got it wrong and actually made matters worse, but when the expert came, I was always glued by his side and observed what he did that made the AC work well again.

So here goes

You should always start at the basics, check to see if the thermostat shows the dial on cool and below room temperature. On Many occasion this is the only problem and even though it seems obvious, we forget to check and end up paying the service man his fee for doing nothing.

Next you see if the Fan, in the Furnace and the outside unit is running. The Fan can be easily found, if you have a Window AC or a split AC.

 If they are not working, check if the breaker in the AC and the Furnace is on. Also check the main control board wires. If you see that the Breaker/fuse has been tripped, shut it off and turn it on again to reset it. If that does not help then the wiring may be damaged.

Check if the Reservoir is full, if it is full the AC will not run so you will have to replace the pump.

Look for Ice or Frost formation. If you find ice on the copper wiring then shut the outside unit letting the blower run so that the ice melts. When all ice has melted and you don't see any ice near the furnace, try restarting the outside unit. There will be a copper line which is comparatively larger, touch to see if it's cold. If it's not cold and you see that there is frost on the lines then you would have to call a service man.

Check the filters. Most times replacing or cleaning a dirty filter solves cooling issues.

On many occasions cleaning the fan duct and filters areas can solve the problem, make sure that you switch off power before you go near wiring. Keeping the AC switched off for 20-30 minutes solve issues many a times.

If you tried all these steps and feel that the issue is not solved, then this would be a good time to call in the professional. Remember keeping the unit clean and following these simple ac troubleshooting steps will save you money and will also keep you cool.