5 Common Aircon Problems

The sun is shining brightly, and it is the warmest day of the year. If your air conditioner isn’t working, has broken down, is leaking, isn’t chilling, or is creating a foul odour or a pounding noise, you’ve entirely lost your cool… so to speak.

Because it is an electrical device, especially one that incorporates water and contains some extremely toxic chemicals, you should never attempt to open or repair a malfunctioning air conditioner on your own. In most situations, calling a professional expert to fix or replace it is the best choice. Having said that, there are some actions you can do for yourself in specific instances.

There is no cold air coming from the air conditioner.

If you’re having issues with the temperature of the air coming out of your refrigerative air conditioner, or if it’s acting strangely, a number of things might be wrong. Ice might have developed within the device, which is addressed further down. To see whether this is the case, turn off your air conditioner and raise the lid to see if there is any ice on or below the filter. If yes, proceed with the procedures outlined below.

The thermostat sensor is another common reason. Occasionally, a thermostat sensor, which monitors the temperature of the air being blown by the device, gets knocked out of place. While the remedy is straightforward, it requires a certified professional to diagnose and repair it (as do most other issues of this nature). To be safe, turn off your air conditioner and contact a qualified technician.

Ice is developing within the air conditioner.

When an air conditioner stops operating or struggles significantly, it is often due to a lack of maintenance. If you don’t clean the air conditioner’s filter, the dust and grime it accumulates forms a clog, preventing the machine from ‘breathing.’ As a result of this, ice forms within the air conditioner.

This is one of the problems that you can typically resolve without the assistance of a qualified specialist. To begin, turn off the unit for a few hours to allow the ice to melt entirely. Depending on your air conditioner, you may want to remove any furniture from beneath it and place a towel or bucket beneath it to collect any water that melts.

Remove and clean the filter once the ice has completely melted. In most situations, just drying and replacing the filter will solve the problem. If your air conditioner continues to freeze, you should call a qualified technician.

The air conditioner isn’t working at all.

If your air conditioner won’t come on, the first thing you should do is check the batteries in your remote control. It may appear dumb, but it is astonishing how many otherwise highly educated individuals do not bother to check this!

The next step is to double-check that you haven’t blown a fuse or triggered a circuit breaker or safety switch. Examine your home’s main electrical junction box, and if the circuit breaker or safety switch has tripped, reset it and check whether your air conditioner works again. If not, the issue is likely to be more serious, and you should contact a qualified air conditioning expert. Isolate the air conditioner at the main circuit breaker or safety switch until the expert comes.

If resetting your circuit breaker or safety switch works, but the device trips again soon after, the fault might be in your home’s wiring. If you have any other appliances operating at the same time (especially stoves, washing machines, or other strong appliances), try shutting them off to see if it makes a difference. If it does, you may need to contact an electrician to inspect or upgrade your home’s wiring.

To avoid potential burn-outs, maintain your air conditioner according to the instructions in the owner’s handbook. Similarly, avoid turning on and off the air conditioner more than required to prevent sending it to an early grave.

The refrigerant is seeping from the air conditioner.

If you discover a refrigerant leak, the temptation is to just add more. Unfortunately, all it will do is cost you a lot of money in refrigerant and is probably unsafe. To resolve this, you will need to contact a trained and licenced expert who will come out and repair and test the system to ensure that it is functioning properly. Isolate the air conditioner if feasible by turning it off at the circuit breaker or safety switch until a repair professional comes.

Because of the possible risk it poses to the environment, leaking refrigerant must be handled with utmost caution. If a single kilogramme of R410a (the most widely used refrigerant in air conditioners) spills into the environment, it will do as much harm as driving your automobile for six months!

The air conditioner is producing a deafening pounding noise.

Air conditioners will occasionally begin to create loud (sometimes deafening) pounding or wailing noises. Most of the time, this is the consequence of a dislodged fan belt. This repair is not difficult, but because this is high-powered electrical equipment, it must be performed by a licenced specialist. You should not turn on the air conditioner until it has been repaired; doing so might result in considerably greater harm.

While the expert is repairing this, have them inspect the motor’s bearings as well – they may need to be changed.

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