Resident Reports the AC Isn’t Cooling

THIS WEEK — sooner in extreme heat

Or start with a sentence

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AR Logic LLC · Privacy

An AC that runs but does not cool is usually THIS WEEK — urgent

  • A resident fanning herself on a sofa in a hot apartment at nightin extreme heat
  • An older man sitting by a box fan at an open window on a hot nightor when someone vulnerable lives there.

Have the resident confirm the thermostat is on Cool and set below room temperature, replace a clogged filter, and check the outdoor unit is running; ask for a photo of the thermostat and one of the outdoor unit, then book an HVAC technician for anything past that.

A wall thermostat set to 68 degrees while the room reads 79

A real Triage Profile for this photo

Reported
“AC is running but the house won’t cool down”
What it is
Thermostat
How urgent
THIS WEEK
Who to call
HVAC technician

The room is well above the set point while the system runs.

Photo from a building we own. Read by fixRAgent on 30 Sep 2026; 3 of 3 independent reads agreed. Open this Triage Profile

An outdoor air-conditioning condenser with heavy rust on the fan grille and top panel

A real Triage Profile for this photo

Reported
“outside AC unit running but the house is not cooling”
What it is
Central air conditioner condenser
How urgent
THIS WEEK
Who to call
HVAC technician

Severe rust on the housing and fan guard; with no cooling reported, the coils, electrics and refrigerant need a technician.

Photo from a building we own. Read by fixRAgent on 30 Sep 2026; 3 of 3 independent reads agreed. Open this Triage Profile

Your First Message to the Resident

  1. A wall thermostat set to 68 degrees while the room reads 79

    Thermostat on Cool, set below the room temperature, fan on AUTO.

  2. A grey, clogged air filter held next to a clean one

    Air filter: a clogged filter can freeze the indoor coil and cut cooling — replace it [1].

  3. A hand opening the disconnect box on the wall beside an outdoor AC unit

    Is the outdoor unit running? If it is silent, check its breaker and the disconnect box beside it [2].

  4. Thick white ice on the copper line at an indoor unit

    Ice on the copper line or the indoor unit: switch cooling off and run the fan only, then book a technician.

  5. A resident’s photo of a rusted outdoor AC unit

    A photo of the thermostat screen and one of the outdoor unit.

How Urgent Is It?

  • An outdoor AC unit beside a house
    THIS WEEK

    Outdoor Unit Silent, Breaker On

    Capacitor, contactor or control fault: HVAC technician [2].

  • A hand held up to a ceiling vent in a hot living room
    THIS WEEK

    Outdoor Unit Running, Warm Air Inside

    Refrigerant charge, dirty coils or a failed component: HVAC technician [1].

  • An outdoor AC unit at night, ice on its copper line

    Ice on the Lines

    Airflow or refrigerant: filter first, then a technician.

Who to Send

An HVAC technician with gauges connected to an outdoor unit
HVAC Technician.

What to Say to the Resident

A manager on a front porch on a summer evening, typing a reply on a phone

“Thanks for the photos. I’ll book an HVAC technician to look at the system this week and tell you the day once it’s set. If it gets dangerously hot for anyone in the home, tell me straight away and we’ll move it up.”

The Triage Profile writes this line for every photo, matched to how urgent it is.

What to Record

  1. The resident’s thermostat photo

    The indoor temperature and set point from the resident’s thermostat photo.

  2. A technician reading gauges at an outdoor unit

    What the technician found (charge, coil, capacitor) and the unit’s age.

Sources

  1. ENERGY STAR — A guide to energy-efficient heating and cooling
  2. Carrier — AC unit not turning on

Updated 30 Sep 2026 · AR Logic LLC

fixRAgent

Got the Resident’s Photo?

Drop it here. The Triage Profile says what it is, how urgent it is, who to send, and what to tell the resident.

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