Troubleshoot Your Air Conditioning Issue

Date: August 21, 2023

The cooling equipment problem may not need a pricy HVAC repair visit.

It’s nearly the end of summer — is your air conditioning system still holding up against the heat?

Just about every day this summer, the Cubby Oil & Energy team has answered some kind of A/C repair request. Our HVAC pros are always ready to help homeowners in the greater Boston area with their home comfort issues. But often, we find that the problem keeping households from enjoying consistent cool air requires a relatively simple fix. With that in mind, we’d like to suggest some A/C troubleshooting tips.

Is your air conditioner not coming on?

If your home cooling system isn’t coming on at all, try these simple tips to get it running yourself:

1. Look at your thermostat. Is it set to “air conditioning,” “cool” or “fan”? Make sure it’s on one of those settings and that you’ve set it to at least 5 degrees below the current room temperature. (If the screen of a battery-powered thermostat is blank, you may need to put in fresh batteries.)
2. Go to your circuit breaker and make sure the breaker powering your A/C equipment hasn’t tripped. This can happen when your system has been running constantly.
3. Look at your A/C power switches and confirm they are set to “on.”

If these troubleshooting tips don’t get your air conditioning equipment running, contact us for help.

Is your air conditioning system blowing warm or weak air?

If your cooling equipment is running but giving you weak or warm air, that doesn’t do much for your summer comfort. Try these possible fixes:

1. Just like with an A/C that won’t run, check that the thermostat is set to “air conditioning,” “cool” or “fan” and that the temperature is at least 5 degrees below the current room temperature.
2. Look at your room’s vents and ensure that furniture, house plants or rugs don’t block them.
3. Ensure your outdoor condenser is receiving power. First, check the power switch is on, then confirm the circuit breaker for the condenser hasn’t tripped.
4. When did you last check your system’s air filter(s)? We recommend checking your air filter monthly during the cooling season. If the filter is dirty or clogged, clean or replace it. Doing so will help with cool airflow.

If you’ve tried all these steps and still aren’t getting strong cool air to your rooms, reach out to us.

Cubby Oil & Energy is your complete home comfort partner.

For over 70 years, the Cubby team has kept homes comfortable in Essex, Middlesex and nearby counties. Our experienced and professional HVAC team is always on call if you have a no-A/C emergency that needs to be resolved.

We also want to help you keep your cooling equipment running at peak efficiency for years to come. Our service team is here to provide routine maintenance that keeps your cooling costs down and prevents future breakdowns.

Need A/C repair service right away? Contact the Cubby team now to request service.