During operation, air conditioners pump significant volumes of air, cleaning and cooling it. Naturally, a large amount of dirt accumulates on the heat exchanger and filters, which negatively affects almost all parameters of the air conditioner operation. If you are not a climber, then it is better to entrust the cleaning of the air conditioner issues to professionals, because AC cleaning service is like home maintenance, which will help you with a big job.
Air conditioners have different mechanisms in their structure that ensure the correct functionality of the device. But for a number of reasons, climate equipment can fail.
The problem with AC usually can be solved by AC service or AC maintenance services.
But in this topic, we will look at the most common malfunctions in the operation of air conditioners, why they can occur, how to repair equipment and avoid breakdowns.
Air Conditioning (AC) Symptoms
There are several signs that indicate a malfunctioning air conditioner. Consider the most common.
Signs of a malfunction of the device:
- the air conditioner stopped cooling the air;
- excessive cooling or heating of the room;
- water is dripping or dripping from the indoor unit;
- condensation appears on the outdoor or indoor unit;
- the spontaneous shutdown of the device during operation;
- the air conditioner stopped turning on;
- during operation, uncharacteristic sounds or vibrations are observed;
- Unpleasant odors come from the air conditioner.
The air conditioner (AC) does not turn on
The air conditioner may stop turning on and respond to the remote control for several reasons.
Causes of malfunction:
- the device is disconnected from the mains;
- depletion of the batteries in the remote control;
- failure of the control panel;
- violation of interlock cable communication;
- malfunction of the control board in the indoor module;
- protection mode has been activated (the display will show a fault code).
All the causes of malfunctions in which the equipment stops turning on are related to electricity, therefore it is unacceptable to fix the problem on your own without having the appropriate experience and knowledge. The owner of the device can only check the connection to the mains and the operation of the control panel with the replacement of batteries. If this does not help, you need to call a specialist to repair the equipment.
Short work cycle
If the air conditioner issues spontaneously turns off after a few minutes after starting, then there is a serious malfunction, and you need to contact the climate system repair service. To troubleshoot, you will need a special tool, and in some cases even new replacement parts.
There are several reasons for the short cycle time:
- malfunction of the control board;
- the compressor overheats;
- the fan in the outdoor unit is out of order;
- the evaporator or filters are dirty.
If the breakdown turns out to be serious and the cost of work, taking into account the replacement of parts, is prohibitively high, it makes sense to think about buying a new air conditioner. Such a solution is often relevant if repair of the control board on inexpensive Chinese-made split equipment is required.
Cooling or heating problems
Poor cooling or heating is a fairly common malfunction of climate control devices that occurs for a number of reasons.
Causes of poor air cooling or heating:
- freon leak;
- filter clogging;
- failure of the inverter module;
- compressor failure;
- breakage of the temperature sensor;
- contamination of the impeller of the outdoor unit;
- malfunction in the telecommunication between the outdoor and indoor unit.
Vibration during air conditioner operation
Vibration during the operation of the air conditioner appears for several reasons: a break in the impeller, the appearance of ice, or damage to the bearing. If this symptom appears, the device must be immediately turned off and a repairman should be called.
Extraneous noise in the air conditioner (AC)
During the operation of the air conditioner, for a number of reasons, extraneous noises may occur – characteristic crackling, hissing, rattling, strong hum, etc. There may be several reasons for causing atypical sounds. Let’s consider them.
Causes of extraneous noise:
- a dirty filter or heat exchanger;
- unreliable fastening of parts in the block body;
- broken tightness of the pipeline;
- failure of the regulating transformer;
- development of a working resource.
In this case, too, you can not do without the help of a master.
Condensate leak from the air conditioner (AC)
During standard operation of the climatic equipment, condensate flows down the drainage line. If water appears on the indoor unit, then there are some malfunctions that need to be fixed immediately.
The main cause of condensate leakage is a clogged drainpipe. You can solve this problem yourself. To do this, turn off the air conditioner from the mains, disconnect the drain pipes, carefully clean them and dry them. The cleaned tubes are installed in their place, after which you can connect the air conditioner to the network and check it in operation.
If this method did not help solve the problem with condensate, you will have to call a specialist. Condensate leakage can also be caused by a dirty evaporator filter or failure to maintain the required angle of inclination when fixing the indoor unit to the surface.
Causes of breakdowns and their prevention
The causes of breakdowns in air conditioners are varied, and in order to eliminate any malfunctions in the operation of the equipment, it is necessary to follow all the operating rules and carry out maintenance of the device in a timely manner.
Preventive measures:
- The minimum frequency for preventive checks is once a year. It is better to do this before the start of the warm season.
- Timely refueling of the air conditioner with freon.
- Cleaning filters and internal parts of the appliance (performed by a specialist).
It is better to entrust the repair of climate equipment to professionals. The intervention of an inexperienced user can provoke new breakdowns, requiring even greater costs or a complete replacement of the climate equipment.
After buying an air conditioner, be sure to read the user manual and follow all the manufacturer’s recommendations.
