As the weather in Australia is heating up and we’re moving into the scorching summer, an air conditioner that is faulty and won’t cool or blow cold air is the last thing you want. Whether it’s at home or your office, it can cause bickering and foul moods all around when the air con is not working properly.
To make it easy for you to troubleshoot what exactly is wrong, we’ve compiled a list of likely causes and solutions for when your air conditioner is failing you. Sometimes the same problem can be caused by numerous possible causes so it is always better to ensure you have determined the reason it is not operating as it should first.
Don’t fret, none of these solutions is particularly tricky – and if all fails, you can always call in an expert to take care of things.
Likely Causes for Your Air Conditioner Not Working
Problem 1: Your Air Con Takes Longer to Cool the Room
Possible Cause: Your Air Filter is Clogged or Dirty
Lack of proper airflow through your air con could be causing the problem. What should be happening if your air conditioner is working properly is for the fan to blow air over the evaporator coils. After it is cooled here, it gets recirculated into the room you are cooling.
When the filter is clogged with dirt, it blocks the airflow which in turn can cause the evaporator coils to either get too cold and freeze further blocking the airflow and not allowing for the cool air to enter through the aircon into the room.
How to Fix It
The easiest solution is to either replace or clean the filter if this is in fact what’s causing the problem. In order to clean it, you can simply do so with soapy water and a soft brush. Alternatively, you should replace it.
Problem 2:Your Air Con is Blowing Air but It’s Not Cold
Possible Cause 1: Faulty Fan or Fan Motor
In a working air conditioner, the fan will blow air over the evaporator coils and re-circulate the air into the room. If the fan is not working or not working correctly, it can cause the air to cool down too much and freeze up, not allowing the air to blow through into the room.
How to Fix It
If you’ve checked but it is still not working, you might have to open up the air con in order to fix a broken or faulty fan as it is located inside. Check that the motor is turning easily and that the blades are not damaged.
If either one is not working or damaged, you will have to replace it. If the motor is turning but the air conditioner is still not blowing cool air to blow into the room, then you might need a professional to come in and do the tests with a multi-meter.
Possible Cause 2: Leaking Refrigerant
How to Fix It
Although an air conditioner that leaks a little bit of water is no immediate cause of concern, leaking refrigerant could be a serious issue – and can be confused with leaking water. Although it does looks like a liquid at first, it later converts to gas once the water has evaporated. In this case, it’s always safer to call in the experts.
Possible Cause 3: Thermostat Problems
How to Fix It
You might want to check that your thermostat is set to the correct temperature. A trick to test if it’s working is to turn down the dial all the way or setting it to its lowest temperature and checking to see if that causes the air con to run. If you’re able to, you should also check that all wiring and batteries are in place and properly connected as they should be. You can also try setting it to “auto” to see if it fixes the problem.
Probable Cause 4: Airflow Switch is Faulty
How to Fix It
Your air con issues could be caused by a safety switch that trips when the drainpipe is clogged with water. In order to fix this, you need to reset it after first draining the water.
Problem 3: You’ve Tried Everything but It’s Still Not Working
Possible Cause: The Air Con is Dirty
How to Fix It
Dirt could be trapped in any part of the air con. Firstly, take a closer look at the outside vents, as well as unplug your window unit and turn off the circuit breaker. Then you should take water hose to spray off or cleaning brush to brush off any possible dirt that could be obstructing any vital parts of your air con.
When All Else Fails, Call in the Experts
The joy of handing over a frustrating task to someone who is a seasoned expert is one of the best feelings. Get a solution in half (or maybe even less!) of the time that it would take you to take the air conditioner apart yourself just to try and figure out which part is causing the issues.
Problems that should be left to the professionals include a broken condenser fan, faulty compressor, damaged air ducts as well as low refrigerant level.
But don’t always assume that you’ve done something wrong when your air conditioner is not cooling or won’t blow cool air into the room. Very often it is just wear-and-tear from years of prolonged usage. But before you rip it out of the wall and search the web for a brand-new one, contact us to for a diagnostic and consider your AC options.
Here’s to keeping everyone cool, calm, and collected this summer!
