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How do I tell what is wrong with my air conditioner?
Start with the symptom. An AC that runs but blows warm air usually has an outdoor unit that has stopped running. One that is completely dead is often a tripped float switch or breaker. Water indoors is almost always a clogged condensate drain. Match the symptom below to narrow the cause.
None of what follows replaces a real diagnosis, and none of it requires you to open anything electrical. The point is to tell you what is probably happening, whether it is something you can check yourself in two minutes, and how urgent it is.
Match your symptom to a likely cause
| Symptom | Most common cause | Check yourself first | Urgency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs constantly, house drifts warmer | Low refrigerant charge, or a dirty condenser coil | Look at the outdoor coil. If it is packed with cottonwood, grass clippings or hail damage, that is a real lead. | Soon — running low on charge stresses the compressor |
| Indoor fan blows, but the air is warm | Outdoor unit has stopped — often a failed run capacitor | Go outside and listen. If the indoor blower runs but the outdoor fan is still, that narrows it sharply. | Soon |
| Completely dead, no response at all | Tripped condensate float switch, or a breaker | Check the breaker panel, and look for a full drain pan at the indoor unit. | Same day if the house is heating up |
| Water on the floor near the indoor unit | Clogged condensate drain line | Look for standing water in the drain pan. Shut the system off to stop the overflow. | Urgent — this is an active water damage risk |
| Ice on the refrigerant line or coil | Airflow restriction, most often a filter left in far too long | Check the filter. Turn the system to fan-only to thaw it before anything else. | Turn it off now — running a frozen system can slug the compressor |
| Loud rattle or clatter outdoors | Debris in the condenser, or a failing fan motor bearing | Look through the top grille for storm debris. Common after North Texas thunderstorms. | Soon |
| Blank or unresponsive thermostat | Loss of power upstream — frequently the float switch again | Try fresh batteries, then check the indoor unit for a full drain pan. | Soon |
| Upstairs hot, downstairs cold | Duct design and attic heat gain, not usually a broken part | Nothing to check — this is a system design conversation. | Not urgent, but it will not fix itself |
Two symptoms that mean turn it off now
Most AC problems can wait until morning. Two should not. If you see ice on the coil or refrigerant line, shut the system off — running a frozen system risks returning liquid refrigerant to the compressor, which turns a cheap repair into an expensive one. And if there is water coming from the indoor unit, shut it off to stop the overflow before it reaches drywall or ceiling below.
A burning smell, or a breaker that trips again immediately after being reset, also means stop. A breaker that keeps tripping is doing its job — it is reporting a fault, not causing one, and resetting it repeatedly is how a bad situation becomes a dangerous one.
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