Commercial HVAC: What Do I Do If Our Air Conditioner Stops Working?

Know What to Do When It’s Just Not Cooling Off

It’s the hottest day of the year, and as a commercial building owner, you’re busier than ever when you get the call from your employee, tenant, or operations manager. The AC isn’t working. What should you do?

Well, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to assume you already have an annual HVAC maintenance plan with Air-Tro or another professional service qualified to handle repairs both big and small. In that case, you just give us (or them) a call and a seasoned air conditioning expert will have your system back up and running in no time.

But let’s say you haven’t quite made time to sign up for an annual maintenance plan yet. Then what should you do? Here’s a handy checklist of possible issues to investigate if your HVAC doesn’t seem to be working.

Check the Thermostats.

Thermostats run on batteries that can easily go dead. Is the screen dark? Is it an old model? In that case, it’s entirely possible that your thermostat is not sending the correct signals to the rest of the equipment or is no longer calibrated to the ambient indoor temperature. It may be dirty and dusty, which also can result in failed connections with the right wires.

Check the Circuit Breakers.

You’d be amazed how many times what seems like the worst possible breakdown of the most complicated system can be instantly resolved when someone checks to see if the circuit breaker has tripped. If any part of your commercial equipment pulls too much electricity, a circuit breaker will immediately cut off electricity to all parts of the HVAC system. Luckily, all you will need to do is reset it if this is the problem.

Check the Rooftop Unit for Damage.

A windstorm, critter damage, or even the hot sun can damage rooftop HVAC equipment, resulting in real airflow issues and little cooling. Check to make sure everything seems intact, or better yet, call your certified HVAC technician at Air-Tro to come have a look.

Check the Air Filters.

Dirty air filters that haven’t been changed in a while can easily affect indoor air temperatures. The good news is that these filters are readily available in most hardware stores and online. They’re also quite inexpensive. While changing air filters is a regular part of any annual HVAC maintenance plan, if you’re not yet signed up for one, it’s a task easy to forget …. until your system stops working well.

Don’t wait for the hottest day of the year or a system breakdown to schedule a maintenance visit for your HVAC system. You’ll not only save money on repairs by fixing minor problems before they become bigger ones, but you’ll also save energy by keeping your system running at peak performance.

Is it time to schedule a maintenance inspection for your commercial HVAC system? Call the commercial heating and cooling experts at Air-Tro. We’re the company the San Gabriel Valley trusts for all their indoor comfort. (626) 357-3535.