HVAC emergency in Chicago? Call Bernie's Heating & A/C Service now! Same-day service available for all heating and cooling emergencies.
If the indoor blower runs but the house stays warm, the outdoor unit, refrigerant circuit, coil, or airflow may be the problem. We test the cheap electrical parts before talking about compressors.
A thermostat can call for cooling and the blower can move air even while the outdoor unit is doing nothing useful.
That is why a no-cooling diagnosis starts outside at the condenser and continues through refrigerant pressures, coil temperature, airflow, and electrical readings.
A quiet outdoor unit often points to capacitor, contactor, breaker, or low-voltage control problems. A running outdoor unit with warm air points more toward refrigerant, coil, airflow, or compressor trouble.
$180-$350 typical
The outdoor unit may hum, click, or stay off even while the indoor fan runs.
$300-$900+ depending on leak
Low charge can make the coil too cold, reduce capacity, and eventually damage the compressor.
$150-$500 typical
Cottonwood, clogged filters, and dirty evaporator coils reduce heat transfer.
$1,500-$2,500 typical
We test capacitors and contactors first because those failures can mimic compressor failure.
Do not open electrical panels. These quick checks can rule out simple issues.
Replace a dirty filter.
Confirm the outdoor disconnect and breaker are on.
Clear cottonwood and debris around the outdoor unit.
Check whether the outdoor fan is running when cooling is on.
A system can lower the temperature a few degrees and still fail at humidity removal. That often happens with dirty coils, poor airflow, or oversized systems in bungalows.
We look at temperature split and moisture removal, not just whether cold-ish air comes out of one register.
If this page is close but not exactly your problem, these pages may match what you are seeing.
Common causes include a failed capacitor, failed contactor, low refrigerant from a leak, dirty coils, poor airflow, or compressor trouble.
If the coil or refrigerant line is frozen, turn cooling off and run fan only if needed to thaw. Call for service before restarting it.
A sealed AC should not lose refrigerant. If it is low, there is a leak. A recharge without leak diagnosis is temporary.
Bernie's checks electrical parts, refrigerant, airflow, coils, and compressor operation before quoting the repair.