Are you a bit hot under the collar? If you had a power outage during one of Florida’s storms, the central AC may not have come back on. So what do you do?

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No worries, the HVAC experts have your back and will show you how to reset the AC unit in 5 simple steps.

Step 1: Turn off your AC at the thermostat.

Before starting the AC restart process, go to your thermostat and set it to “off”.  This will stop your thermostat from calling your AC for cooling so you can reset the circuit breaker.

The next 2 steps can be challenging for some… In which case, Performance AC has 24hr HVAC service, that provides AC repairs to Tampa, Largo, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and more. (Psst, we have HVAC coupons too.) Feel free to contact us if you feel like you might struggle.

Step 2: Find the circuit breaker box

Most likely, a power surge from the storm overloaded the AC’s circuit, causing the circuit breaker to ‘trip.’  So, to start the AC reset, you’ll first need to reset the circuit breaker.

The circuit breaker box (a grey metalic box) is usually located in these areas:

  • Garage
  • Basement
  • Closets
  • Laundry room
  • Exterior part of the home

Step 3: Reset the AC’s circuit breaker

Open the circuit breaker box and find the circuit that has an air conditioner/HVAC label next to it.

It’s OK if there’s no label. Just look for a switch that is ‘tripped,’ meaning that it’s moved to the neutral position.

To reset the circuit breaker, turn it to the ‘off’ position (right), then the ‘on’ position (left)

Step 4: Wait 30 minutes

Your AC needs some time to reset its internal circuit breaker. Drink a cold drink. Take a swim (probably not during the rainy season, though). Do whatever you need to do to stay cool.

Step 5: Turn the thermostat back to ‘cool’ and celebrate

Head back to your thermostat, set it to cool and make sure the temperature setting is at least 5 degrees below the room temperature. The thermostat should call for cooling from the AC.

Now celebrate, because you just got your comfort back!

‘Wait! My circuit breaker tripped again!’

If the breaker trips soon after you reset it, you have another issue you need to deal with first before attempting to reset the circuit breaker again.

Is your air conditioner still not coming on?

If you followed our instructions and the AC is still not working, there may be an electrical issue with the AC. Some new electrical appliances may be taking most of the power or maybe you just have too many appliances plugged in.

Try unplugging some electrical appliances and try each step again. If that doesn’t work, call your local electrician Performance for fast and efficient electrical services.