You walk through the door after a long day, and you realize there’s no cool air moving around your home. In fact, it’s eerily quiet when your AC should be running.

Your first thought is to figure out what’s going on and if there’s a way to get it started again without scheduling a service call.

What to Check When Your AC Fan is Not Working

Like many air conditioning issues, you can do some troubleshooting yourself before calling in to schedule service:

• Check that your AC is on, and you can hear it running. Chances are it’s not turning on at all if you’re troubleshooting this.
• Make sure your AC is blowing any air – even hot air. This is another issue as well.
• Double-check that the fan is set to “Auto” or “On.” Sometimes, these buttons can get accidentally bumped. If it’s on “Auto,” go ahead and flip it to “On” to see if that starts it.

If any of the above is happening, your AC fan probably isn’t the issue, but something else might be an issue. Call us today to figure out the root cause and get your AC back in working order.

Move on to the following troubleshooting steps if none of the above started your AC fan up again:

Start with the Thermostat

Make sure it’s working. If the screen doesn’t light up, change the batteries and try to turn on your AC. Adjust the temperature up to 78 degrees, let it sit there for five minutes, then turn it down to 70 and see if your AC fan starts up. If not, then, your thermostat isn’t the issue.

Then Check the Circuit Breakers

If your thermostat is working properly, but your AC isn’t kicking on at all, or it’s trying to, double-check your circuit breakers. Some ACs have two sets of circuit breakers: one that controls everything electrical in your home and one wherever your unit is stored. Check that the main electrical panel breaker hasn’t tripped first; if it has, reset it. If the that breaker is fine, go to your indoor HVAC unit and look for a light switch near it. Flick that on, off, and on again. Then try to run your AC again.

Next Change the Air Filter

If the first two steps above don’t work, then change your air filter. Some unit fans won’t blow if the AC filter is clogged because it literally can’t blow air through the filter and into your home. Replace the old filter with a fresh one. Make sure to change it regularly to avoid this issue and many others with your home’s air conditioning. If the AC fan is not working after changing the filter, move on to the next step.

Stay Inside and Check the Evaporator Coil

While you are checking the AC unit inside, see if any ice or condensation has built up on the evaporator coil. If your fan has stopped running, it may cause ice to build up and essentially freeze your evaporator coil up, causing everything to shut down. Wait for it to thaw and try to turn your AC back on to see if it made a difference.

Venture Outside and Check the Fan Blades

If there doesn’t appear to be an issue with your evaporator coil, then turn off the unit from the thermostat (wait for it to completely shut down) and head outside and see if the outdoor unit is working. Does it sound normal? Is it making any banging or clanging sounds? Look inside and see if any fan blades are bent, broken, or missing. If you do see something amiss with the fan blades, keep the system off and call A.B. May for repairs.

When to Call A.B. May When Your AC Fan is Not Working

If none of the above seems to be fixing anything with your AC fan, it may be time to call us to come out and service your unit. Your AC compressor might not be functioning, a capacitor might be malfunctioning, or another problem may be keeping your AC fan from working properly that you can’t see or troubleshoot yourself.

We are here to help. Call A.B. May today to schedule a service call and let our expert technicians take care of your AC fan not working.

Read More: Why is My Central Air Not Working?