AC Repairs Caused by Faulty Thermostats

While they are small, compact, and often overlooked, thermostats can make or break your air conditioning during the cooling season in Fairfax, Arlington, Centreville, Reston, and throughout Northern VA. Considering how much we rely on our cooling systems during the long hot summer, we should probably pay more attention to the thermostats within our home. Whether you have a single thermostat or multiple thermostats for different cooling zones in your home, you need to make sure that it works properly—and that it’s not causing problems.

At John Nugent & Sons, we’ve identified a few possible problems that can arise as a result of a bad thermostat.

AC Provides Inadequate Cooling

This is a common thermostat-related issue. While dirty coil, clogged air filters, and low refrigerant can all cause inadequate cooling, your thermostat may also be to blame. If it is not properly calibrated, it cannot sense the temperature correctly and may make errors when trying to adjust the temperature accordingly. It may even cause your AC to short cycle.

AC Has a Connectivity Issue

Whether your thermostat is wired or wireless, it is subject to connectivity issues. Recent technological developments have, for the most part, made the manual wired thermostat something of a relic. Digital, wireless, programmable thermostats are often favored by contractors because they allow for quicker installation and better user functionality. Wired thermostats need to be physically connected to the AC unit, and this wiring may have been damaged somewhere along the line. Wireless devices require free and non-interfering paths of communication with the AC in order to work properly.

AC Won’t Turn

If your AC won’t turn on, it could very well be due to a faulty thermostat. Before jumping to conclusions, however, double check that your thermostat is in cooling mode—and that the fan is on. If it still won’t turn on, it may need to be calibrated or replaced by a professional HVAC technician.

AC Won’t Turn Off

While this may not seem like a terrible problem to have during the dog days of late July, your AC unit shouldn’t run continuously without interruption. If it does, it can lead to increased wear and tear and overheating.

If you need AC repair services in Northern VA, call John Nugent & Sons at 703-291-1926.