Air conditioning is a modern luxury most people appreciate on sweltering summer days. Perhaps at no time is it more appreciated than when HVAC units seem to fail and homeowners must tough out a hot day until professionals arrive. However, sometimes it's their own negligence which is causing air conditioning problems. If you're experiencing these A/C failures, it could be your fault. Luckily, you can also fix them.

No Power

Turning on the HVAC unit in the summer is as easy as flipping a switch--that is, until nothing happens. When air doesn't immediately flow, you may worry that the unit is damaged. However, you may have inadvertently made some mistakes which could have caused that. For instance, when did you last change the thermostat batteries? If you're unsure, it's likely that the batteries have been fully drained by your use of air conditioning for many years. Replacement batteries could rectify the situation quickly.

You also could be using so many electrical appliances at once that turning on the A/C tripped the breaker. You may need to flip the circuit back into place and stop using some electrical appliances in order to be able to power your air conditioning. If this happens, you may need a chat with an electrician about your electrical needs.

It might also be that you have allowed the twigs, grass and dead leaves to pile up around the main unit. If twigs have gotten in between fan blades, for instance, they're unlikely to turn and that could stop the entire unit from working. Clear the area and the inside of the HVAC unit.

Warm Air

Sometimes, the air starts blowing but it never gets any cooler. In fact, the air can be somewhat warm. This is another time when your actions could be the root of the A/C problem. For instance, you might never have moved the 'heat' switch over to the 'cool' setting. You could just be stacking too many boxes in front of the HVAC ducts. Both of these possibilities are easy to discover and fix.

It's also likely that you've been ignoring your HVAC unit's filter. The filter might have been silently in place for some time, but it's only natural that it will get clogged up or torn without your attention. Often, brushing out the filter or replacing a ripped one will allow cool air to flow freely.

Your actions can affect how well your home is cooled. With these solutions, you could fix trouble preventing cool air from getting to your living spaces. If problems remain, an air conditioning service can help.