Fix My AC

When central air conditioning service fails during a heat spell, you may have to wait days for an HVAC repair technician or a ac contractor to show up, and you’ll probably pay at least several hundred for the repair. But if you’re comfortable working around electricity and are willing to spend about $50 on parts, you can probably repair your air conditioning service yourself in about two hours and save about $225 on parts markup and labor.

We talked to local HVAC repair technicians to get their best do-it-yourself AC fan repair and maintenance tips. These tips will help you with the most common “low cooling” and “no cooling” problems. You’ll need an inexpensive multimeter, a voltage sniffer, an assortment of screwdrivers and a socket set.

If these AC repairs don’t work, at least you’ve covered the most common failures, and your service guy can concentrate on finding the more elusive problem. Plus, with the new parts, you’ll likely add years of breakdown-free air conditioning. Here’s how to start