Having a home central air conditioning system is a necessity to ensure that your family stays nice and cool this summer season. Unfortunately, sometimes power outages and other malfunctions can cause your air conditioning system to fail. Understanding how to reset your air conditioning system can help get it back up and running to keep your family safe and content.
Turn Your AC Off
The first step that you need to take in resetting your air conditioning system is to turn it off. You’ll want to start this process by going to the thermostat first. This way, the thermostat doesn’t try to draw any more power from your system. Next, you’ll want to head to your electrical panel box. This may be located in your basement, laundry room or even in your garage.
You can typically find your electrical panel in your basement. Look for the circuit breaker that is marked for your air conditioning unit. If the breaker is tripped, you may want to start by simply turning it off and back on again. Head up to your thermostat and turn your cooling function on. If your air conditioning system comes back on, the problem was simply a tripped breaker, and your system doesn’t need to be reset any further.
If the breaker is in the on position, then your breaker didn’t trip. You’ll want to proceed with resetting your system. Go ahead and turn the circuit breaker to the off position. You’ll need to give this step of the process a full 60 seconds before turning the breaker on again. Check your watch, or use an egg timer.
Turn It Back On
After waiting for a full minute, you can turn the breaker back to the on position. Remember that you’ll also need to turn your thermostat back to the cooling function to see if this reset took care of the issue. To ensure that your thermostat will signal to the other air conditioning components to come back on, set it to at least 5 degrees below the current temperature reading.
If your air conditioning system comes back on and blows cold air, congratulations. You’ve fixed your air conditioning problem. If the system doesn’t turn back on, it’s time to try the reset button. Most newer central air conditioning units have a reset button on them.
You may have to check the manual to find it. Sometimes these reset buttons can be pretty small and difficult to see. In most cases, it will be a little red button that says “reset” underneath it. You’ll locate this reset button on the indoor section of your central air conditioning unit.
When you push the reset button, you’ll want to hold it down for three full seconds. Let up on the button and see how your system responded. If your air conditioning unit kicked back on, you’ve solved the problem. If your system doesn’t kick back on, you may need to repeat holding the reset button down for another three seconds.
Some issues may require the system to be reset twice before it properly kicks back on. If your system won’t turn on, it’s time to contact a skilled air conditioning professional to further assess the problem with your system.
Resetting Your Outside Compressor
Unfortunately, you may sometimes run into a situation in which your air conditioning system is turned on but not blowing any cold air. Your first step before resetting the system should be to evaluate your thermostat. Make sure that you have it set to the cooling function and that your temperature setting is where it should be.
If everything looks good with your thermostat, then proceed to shut it off. Next, head outside to your compressor. There will be a grey disconnect box mounted near the compressor unit. Open up the box and locate the main power switch. You’ll want to turn this off.
Leave the power off for about five minutes. Then, proceed to turn the main power switch back to the on position. Give it about 30 minutes from the time you turn the power back on until you turn your thermostat back to its cooling function. This will give your entire system time to reset. If you’re still having issues with your system working at this point, it’s time to call in an air conditioning professional to help.
Expert AC Services
Having a helpful Louisville company that you can contact for AC services is a great benefit for any local homeowner. Fortunately, Breckinridge Heating & Cooling offers both heating and cooling installation, repairs and maintenance. We also handle indoor air quality concerns. Simply give us a call today, and we would be happy to serve you.
