It is in the heat of summer, your air conditioner starts malfunctioning and fails to cool the air.  It could be very exasperating as the discomfort in your home from the high temperatures makes doing anything difficult.  The ideal solution in such a situation is to call an air conditioning repair technician. 

However, you could troubleshoot the situation yourself before you call the HVAC technician.  Be careful to turn the power supply off before you start touching any part of the air conditioner, though.

Here are a few common issues that you can check out to see if they are the culprits in your faulty air conditioner:

•    Check if ice has formed within the unit.  If ice has formed on the inside part of the air conditioner, you may not need to call an air conditioning repair technician.  It could mean that you have not been cleaning the unit correctly and so dirt and dust have collected on the unit, blocking it, thus preventing free movement of air.  To resolve this matter, switch off the unit for some hours, to allow the ice to melt.  You can then remove and clean the filter.  Dry the filter and put it back. 

•    Has the thermostat sensor been pushed out of position? The thermostat sensor measures the temperature of air coming from AC unit, and if it malfunctions, the air temperature will not be measured correctly.  The solution to this is to switch off the unit and call a licensed technician to diagnose and fix the matter.

•    If your refrigerant leaks, affecting how it cools the air, you will need to call a technician to diagnose and fix the problem.  If you notice an issue with a leaking refrigerant, it would be a good idea to switch off the unit until the HVAC technician arrives.  A leaking coolant is overly hazardous to the environment and should be handled with great care.  If about 1kg of the refrigerant commonly used in air conditioners leaks into the atmosphere, it causes as much damage as running a car for a whole six months. 

•    A licensed technician should also check the ductwork to make sure it does not have leaks.  Leaks in the ductwork will make the home feel humid and warm even when the air conditioner runs.

•    Inspect the area around the air conditioner and ensure it free of debris and plant growth.