It’s easy to tell when your air conditioning breaks, because it, well, stops working. Figuring out what air conditioning repair you need, though, is a lot more tricky. Here are a few tips to help you figure out why your heating and cooling system might have gotten busted.

It’s not running. – If your AC unit isn’t running, check to make sure it’s plugged in. It’s such an obvious and simple solution that a lot of people actually overlook and call air conditioning repair services needlessly. If it’s plugged in, you may have tripped a breaker. It could also be your thermostat. Check to see what you have it set to, and consider lowering it. If none of these work, call the pros.

It doesn’t cool well enough. – If your AC unit isn’t doing the job like it used to, try lowering your thermostat by five degrees. If that little trick doesn’t work, check your evaporator, because it could be dirty. Clean it and let it run for a couple hours. If that doesn’t do the trick, then it might be the fact that your AC unit is just too big or too small.

It blows hot air. – If your AC unit is doing the exact opposite of what it’s supposed to do — blowing hot instead of cool air — then again, check the thermostat. Failing that, try the condenser. A dirty condenser can also cause this problem. Tall weeds, grass, and other detritus might also be blocking the condenser, too.

No one likes having to deal with a busted air conditioning unit — especially when it’s hot out — but things break. Life happens. These tips will be able to not only help you diagnose your problem, but also solve it so that you can get back to enjoying the comfort of your home.

If you have any questions about air conditioning repair, feel free to share in the comments.