Why this is the most-Googled HVAC question in May
The first warm week of the year hits Warren, Boardman, and Howland and suddenly half the Mahoning Valley realizes their AC isn't cooling. Sometimes it's a 15-second fix. Sometimes it's a real repair. Here are the seven causes our techs see most often, ranked by how common they are.
1. Your thermostat is set to "on" instead of "auto"
The single most common false alarm. If the fan setting is on "on," the blower runs continuously — pushing room-temperature air around even when the compressor isn't cooling. Switch the fan to "auto" and confirm the mode is set to "cool," not "heat" or "fan only."
2. Your air filter is clogged
The #1 cause of AC trouble across every NE Ohio house we visit. A dirty filter chokes airflow, makes the system work harder, ices over the evaporator coil, and eventually shuts the unit down. Check yours right now. If you can't see light through it, replace it.
We recommend MERV 8 to 11 for most homes, MERV 13 if anyone in the house has allergies. Change it every 60-90 days during cooling season.
3. Your outdoor condenser is blocked or dirty
Walk outside and look at the unit. Cottonwood seed (peak May–June in our service area), grass clippings, leaves, and dust pack into the condenser fins and force the compressor to run hot. Shut the power off at the disconnect, then hose the unit down — gentle spray, top down, no pressure washer (the fins bend).
Five minutes of cleaning every month adds years to the unit. If you're near a salted road in Warren or Niles, even more important — road salt eats aluminum coils alive.
4. The breaker for the AC circuit tripped
Walk to your electrical panel. AC compressors pull a lot of inrush current — sometimes a marginal breaker pops on the first hot day. Flip the breaker fully off, then back on. If it trips again immediately, stop — you have an electrical issue and need a pro. Don't keep resetting it.
5. Your evaporator coil is frozen
Open the air handler or look at the indoor coil. If you see ice or condensation on the suction line, the coil is frozen. Causes: dirty filter (#2 above), low refrigerant (#6 below), or a bad blower motor.
Fix: turn the AC off, set the thermostat fan to "on" for an hour to melt the ice, then replace the filter and try again. If it freezes again, call us — you have a deeper problem.
6. Your refrigerant is low
Refrigerant doesn't get used up. It's a closed loop. If you're low, you have a leak somewhere. Topping off without finding and fixing the leak is throwing money away — and on older R-22 systems at $200+ per pound, it's serious money.
Signs: the coil freezes, the system runs constantly but the air isn't cold, ice on the outdoor copper line.
This isn't a DIY repair. Refrigerant is regulated by the EPA, requires Section 608 certification to handle, and on 2025+ systems with R-32 or R-454B requires A2L-rated service tools. Call us.
7. Your capacitor or contactor failed
Run capacitors store the surge that starts the compressor. They wear out — typically 5–10 years in our climate. Symptoms: the AC tries to start but can't, you hear a humming click outside, the fan is spinning but the compressor isn't engaging. Contactor failure looks similar.
These are common-failure parts. Our trucks carry them. Most jobs finish in one visit.
When to call vs do it yourself
DIY:
- Thermostat check
- Filter swap
- Cleaning the outdoor unit
- Resetting the breaker (once)
- Thawing a frozen coil (once)
Call AKHC at (330) 469-6701:
- Frozen coil that returns after thaw
- Breaker that trips repeatedly
- Refrigerant low
- Capacitor or contactor failure
- System under 8 years old that's struggling — capture the warranty paperwork
We're on call 24/7 across Trumbull, Mahoning, Portage, Ashtabula, and Columbiana counties. More on AC repair or request service online.