Things to check before scheduling a Phoenix emergency air conditioning repair

SOME THINGS TO CHECK BEFORE YOU CALL FOR EMERGENCY COOLING REPAIR

Emergency repairs are inconvenient and unexpected.  While in most cases it is necessary to call a professional technician to service your equipment, there are some simple items to check before contacting your Comfort Team for that emergency air conditioning repair.

My Unit Does Not Run…

1. Check the circuit breaker.  A tripped breaker will keep your unit from operating. 
2. Check your fuses. A blown fuse can be checked with an ohm meter or you can take them to a hardware store and they will check them.
3. Make sure your thermostat is set to cooling and the setpoint is below the temperature in the space.
4. Check your filter. A plugged/dirty filter can prevent airflow across your indoor coil and can damage your unit.  Changing your filters on a monthly basis will prolong system life, reduce your energy consumption and lessen the chance of a breakdown. 

My unit seems to run all day or does not keep my house cool…

1. Check your filter. A plugged filter can reduce airflow across your coil causing a variety of issues from low air flow, to blowing warm air, to unit not working.
2. Make sure your outdoor section is free of debris or blockage. The condensing section needs free flowing air in order to function properly.  

My compressor needs to be replaced…

Things to consider before replacing a compressor.

#1  A compressor change out is the most costly repair for an HVAC unit. If your system is reaching the end of its life, 8 to 10 years, the energy savings and warranty with a new high efficiency system may be a better investment.

#2  Why did the compressor fail prematurely? Most compressor failures are caused by improper installation practices, poor airflow or lack of routine maintenance. If you replace a compressor without determining the cause of failure and addressing the issue, chances are you will experience another failure in addition to the unit not achieving the efficiency it is capable of.

If you do decide to replace a compressor, be sure to ask these questions.

#1  Has the system airflow been checked to determine if it is in line with the system size?

#2  Does the quoted price include replacement of any filter/driers? (Anytime a system is open to the atmosphere all driers need to be replaced. If the system never had one, one needs to be installed to prevent contamination of the new compressor)

#3  Be sure the technician uses a vacuum pump with a micron gauge. (Using a micron gauge to assure a deep vacuum is reached assures no contaminants or leaks are present.

#4  Will the technician use nitrogen while brazing?  (Any time brazing is done nitrogen needs to be used to prevent the formation of carbon inside the piping.)

#5  Is the technician performing the work NATE certified. (The North American Trade Excellence certification assures you that you have a well trained professional technician working on your system.)

#6  If your compressor failure was considered a “burn out” failure, an RX11 system flush needs to be performed to be sure all remaining carbon is completely removed. Additional problems will arise if the system is not returned to a completely contaminant free environment.

These are a few of the examples of items you can check before scheduling a Phoenix emergency air conditioning repair.  Call us at for answers to your air conditioning questions, or schedule a service call online.

If you are interested in finding more information replacing your existing equipment, check out our tips on buying an air conditioner in Phoenix.

New Arizona geothermal air conditioning and heating technology can save you 30% to 60% on your cooling/heating bills by retrofitting your existing AC and heating equipment.  Your application may qualify for APS rebates or government tax credits through the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package.