Your thermostat tells your air conditioner when to turn on and off, so when your AC goes rogue and refuses to shut down, what are you supposed to do? Changing the thermostat settings doesn’t seem to do the trick, so what’s the issue?
It could be a lot of things. You’re going to need air conditioning repair to fix the problem, but in the meantime, you have to find a way to power it down so you don’t run up your utility bill. Fortunately, there are two safe options.
First, a Cautionary Tale
Before you try either of the two options we have for you in this post, we need to mention that under no circumstances should you interfere with live electrical wiring. There are plenty of online tutorials and YouTube videos that look promising, but many include unnecessary risk. If you see any exposed wiring whatsoever, even while approaching either of these two options, avoid the area at all costs and call us to help.
Power it Down at the Outdoor Switch
Your air conditioner has its outdoor cabinet, and nearby, it also has a switch that should be in a weatherproof container on the side of your home. You’ll notice it by the flip-up cap that protects the switch, and it should also be close to the AC cabinet.
When you open this up, look to make sure there are no exposed wires within the container. It should just be a simple switch you can flip. If this is the case, flip the switch and listen for your air conditioner to power down.
Look for the fans to slow down and listen for the operational humming to stop. Just to make sure, when you’re done, go inside and put your hands over one of your home’s vents. If there’s no air coming out, you’ve successfully shut down your air conditioner.
If That Doesn’t Work, Take it to the Breaker
Your home is equipped with a circuit breaker. This is a little metal box that’s embedded in your wall somewhere, and it’s accessible via a small metal door. It could be in your garage, dining room–it’s anyone’s guess, but it’s there.
Once you find it, open it up. You’ll see a bunch of horizontal switches with labels beside them (provided that your electrician did their job right). Once you find one for your air conditioner, flick the switch to power it off. This might look like two switches that are bridged by a bit of metal.
If that didn’t work, it means there’s either another issue entirely, or the circuit breaker isn’t labeled properly. Either way, you’ve done all that you can–now it’s time to get an HVAC technician out to your home.
Now it’s Time to Call for HVAC Repair
Now that you’ve (hopefully) powered down your AC, you don’t have to worry about your energy bills spiking. But it still has to be fixed. You can’t just flip the breaker every time you want cool air in your home. Now it’s time to call us to diagnose the problem, and safely fix the issue so your home can get back to normal.
Contact us today to repair your air conditioner as soon as possible and restore your comfort before you know it.