Why is my central air running but not cooling?
Start with the simple things, because they cause more calls than you might think. Check that the thermostat is set to cool and a few degrees below room temperature, and that its batteries are not dead. Look at the furnace filter: a clogged filter starves the indoor coil of air, and the system can run all afternoon without making a dent. Then step outside and see whether the outdoor unit is humming and its fan is turning. Grass clippings, cottonwood fluff and leaves packed against the fins will slow it down on a hot day.
If you see ice on the copper line at the outdoor unit or frost on the coil above the furnace, turn the cooling off and set the fan to on so the ice melts. Running a frozen system can damage the compressor. Ice usually points to low airflow or a low refrigerant charge, and both need a proper look.
If the outdoor unit is silent while the indoor fan runs, or the fan outside is still while the compressor hums, the usual suspects are a failed capacitor, a worn contactor or a fan motor at the end of its life. These are common, repairable faults.
Why is there water on the floor by the furnace in summer?
An air conditioner pulls a lot of moisture out of the air, and that water has to drain away. It drips off the indoor coil into a pan, then runs through a small drain line to a floor drain or a condensate pump. When the line clogs with slime or the pump fails, the water goes onto the basement floor instead.
This is a frequent call in newer houses in Waterdown South and Waterdown Bay, where the high-efficiency furnace and the air conditioner often share the same drain and pump. A blockage there can stop the cooling and, in winter, shut down the furnace too. If you find water, turn the cooling off, wipe up what you can and check whether the pump has a tripped float or has come unplugged. In a finished basement, call before the water reaches the drywall or the carpet.
What does it mean when the air conditioner keeps tripping the breaker?
One trip on a very hot day can happen. Reset the breaker once and watch. If it trips again, leave it off. Repeated resets can burn out a compressor that is struggling to start, and that turns a small repair into a large one.
A breaker that trips is often caused by a weak start capacitor, a compressor that is drawing too much current, a shorted fan motor or a loose, overheated wire at the disconnect. A burning smell, buzzing from the outdoor unit or a scorched look on the wiring are reasons to turn the system off and call. The technician tests the electrical parts with a meter rather than swapping parts on a guess.
Is it a refrigerant leak, and who can fix it?
Refrigerant is not used up like fuel. If the system is low, it has a leak somewhere, often at a fitting, a valve or a corroded spot on the indoor coil. Adding refrigerant without finding the leak only buys a few weeks, and you pay for it again next summer.
A proper repair means testing the charge, searching for the leak, repairing it, then vacuuming and recharging the system to the manufacturer's specification. Work is performed by 313A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, which matters because handling refrigerant in Ontario is a compulsory trade. If the leak is in a coil that is old or hard to reach, you will hear plainly whether repair or a new system makes more sense, with both options priced so you can decide. See air conditioning installation if replacement comes up.
Why do some rooms stay hot when the rest of the house is cool?
Not every hot bedroom is a broken air conditioner. In the post-war and 1970s and 1980s houses of Glenlea, Buchan Court and Renwood Park, the original ductwork was often sized for heating, and it can be too small to move enough cool air upstairs. A newer air conditioner pushed through those ducts can run loud and still leave the second floor warm.
In older houses around the Griffin Survey, some homes have radiators and no ducts, or only small ducts added later, so a ductless system can do more than a central unit would. In the newer subdivisions, an HRV that is out of balance can also make some rooms feel stuffy. A technician can measure airflow at the registers and tell you whether the fix is a repair, a duct change or a balancing job.
How does an air conditioner repair visit work?
Tell us what the system is doing when you call: not cooling, leaking, tripping, freezing or making a new noise. The technician confirms the symptom with you, checks the thermostat, filter, airflow, electrical parts and refrigerant charge, and shows you what was found.
You get a written price for the repair and approve it before any part is fitted. The aim is to have the system cooling again within the season, while you still need it. If a repair is not worth making on an old unit, you will be told so.
Many summer breakdowns start as dirty coils, worn capacitors and slow drains that a spring check would have caught. If you would like to avoid the next one, see furnace and AC maintenance, and for questions on cost, read what goes into the price of a repair.