My AC wasn't blowing out cold air and it was going to take weeks for someone to come out and take a look at it. One guy I called could come out sooner, but it was going to be $185 for a rush fee and that was just to look at it, not to fix it. Even though I was desperate, I wasn't that desperate. We decided to wait until our normal HVAC crew could come. But as the days went along, I grew a lil cranky. It was the hottest of hottest days in Colorado Springs! 90 degrees outside, 82 degrees inside. I'm sure I sound like a diva right now, but the heat just makes me cranky. I decided to take matters into my own hands and watched some good old YouTube videos to help me figure it out. The first video said to...
Replace the air filter
The filter was actually pretty dirty. I went to the home improvement store down the street and picked up a filter for $12. However, that was not the culprit. However, I'm glad I did it because I needed to anyway. Time just flies so quickly so we just forget to replace it. Went upstairs to turn on the AC and it still did not work. At this point I'm annoyed because I did what the video told me to do and the video didn't say - "If that doesn't work, do this." So that's when I decided I should create my own video without the step-by-step how-to since there's so many content creators that do a much better job at those videos. I'm a REALTOR®, not a handyman. The next video had me...
Check the thermostat
We have a new thermostat. It's actually a NEST thermostat and we love it. It's brand new so I didn't explore this route. But if you have an older one, I'd just make sure the wires are still good, replace the batteries or replace if needed. Just do a quick check to mark that off the list of reasons why your AC is not working. I was also told to go ahead and...
Clean the AC unit
But first, turn off the power completely. When I walked outside to look at my AC unit I noticed cotton seeds covering it all over. When the fan is blowing, it's sucking in air from outside, but if the unit is covered in seeds or dirt or other crap, it's not able to suck in the air and often times the fan stops. I took the lid off and cleaned it pretty good. I swept off all the seeds with a broom. Then used the shop vac to vacuum out the inside. Then I rinsed the sides of the AC unit with a water hose. I went back into the house to turn on the AC and guess what! It still didn't work. It got up to 82 degrees.
Replacing the ac capacitor
My last and final attempt to fix my AC was to buy a capacitor. I heard that word a few times in the Google, but I didn't know it was something I could do on my own. No one really sells these around town, so I ordered it on Amazon. It was about $15. This is the part that I don't advise doing on your own. It's pretty intimidating and I normally don't play with electricity. Even if you turn off the power, the capacitor tends to hold a charge and it kinda feels like those zaps from the "want a piece of gum" trick from back in the day? Know what I'm talking about? You have to get the exact one with the right size and UF's +/-, whatever that means. But, you should watch the video to get the full experience. The video will also contain the link I watched in the description that saved the day. I'm in a great mood so that should clue in how it all ended.
Thanks for reading!
IRIS BURTON
BROKER ASSOCIATE | RE/MAX® INTEGRITY
Colorado Springs, CO REALTOR®
irisburton@remax.net
719.231.9290
