If your air conditioning unit has just broken down, you should immediately try to fix it. If you are trained or have enough knowledge to repair it, go ahead. However, In most cases, it is advisable to call an expert. The air conditioning specialist will be better able to perform quick and efficient air conditioner repair. Here are some tips to help you troubleshoot your air conditioner at home.
Technicians at smilehvac.ca always say: “To act in the best way when faced with a breakdown, several actions and reactions must be known. If your device displays more than one problem, sure signs can be identified to understand where they are coming from.”
The most recurring air conditioner problems
- Your air conditioner only blows air, neither cold nor hot
- Your air conditioning flows along the facade
- The noise coming out of the air conditioner is abnormal, the noise pollution is very annoying
- The air conditioning stops or kicks in and jerks from time to time
- Your remote control does not work or works very badly
- The fuses blow very often, repeatedly, and trip the air conditioning.
- The lights no longer light, they flash
- The programming and/or the thermostat no longer work.
- The filters are clogged: a foul odor emanating from the device or a device tends to freeze can be consequences.
If you notice one or more of these abnormal phenomena, consult a specialist as soon as possible.
1. Check the electrical panel
If it seems to you that your air conditioning is no longer working, make sure that the electrical panel has not tripped at your device’s fuse. In this case, a replacement is required.
If your air conditioner makes an abnormal noise, turn off your air conditioning for 10 minutes so that the engine can cool down a bit in the meantime. Otherwise, check the condition of your filter. It may be clogged and may be responsible for the noise. Vacuum it or run the filter under water (only if it is plastic).
If the remote control no longer works, it may merely be the batteries to be changed. If this does not change anything, it is good to contact the dealer or manufacturer to obtain a new remote control.
2. An air conditioner that no longer cools: a clogging problem
The cause
When an air conditioner no longer seems able to produce sufficiently cold air, it is then necessary to examine the state of cleanliness of the device’s air inlets and outlets.
Indeed, the leading cause of this type of dysfunction remains the obstruction of these spaces by accumulating dust.
The solution
It is essential here to properly maintain the air conditioner filter by dusting it regularly, which helps prevent future clogging.
3. Check the compressor
The cause
The compressor can also cause the air conditioner malfunction if its thermal protection no longer works.
The solution
We start by turning off the air conditioner to allow the compressor to cool. Only a professional will be able to check the condition of the equipment here.
4. See if it is a programming issue
The cause
Much less severe than a compressor failure, the air conditioner may be only incorrectly programmed.
If concerns us here: the programmed temperature may be too high, the operating mode chosen may not be the right one, etc.
The solution
Here you can erase the “faulty” programming before reprogramming the air conditioner by choosing new parameters more suited to the house’s needs.
5. Make sure your environment is not a problem
The cause
It is noted here that a window or a door that would have been left ajar will logically be responsible for an entry or an exit of air in the room.
A phenomenon that can then alter the air conditioner’s proper functioning, explaining its new lack of efficiency.
The solution
You have to be careful not to forget to close the various openings in the room when the air conditioning is turned on.
If all else fails, choose the right contractor
In this case, it is essential to find the device manual, the sales contract with the terms of guarantees, and the contact details of the craftsman in charge of maintenance if a maintenance contract has been initiated.
Is the device under warranty?
The various brands often offer guarantees of 2 to 5 years for the multiple parts and of 5 to 10 years for the compressors.
Depending on the degree of the failure and the warranty coverage, the question arises during major work: repair or change the device?
Failure detection
First of all, you must turn off your air conditioner at all costs and then call a repairer. Unplug the appliance from the earth socket and leave it where it is. Once the specialist is there, best describe the problem and the conditions of the failure.
Inspection is mandatory according to a decree, for your good and that of your wallet in a significant breakdown. After two years, a first inspection must be made if the device is 100 kilowatts, otherwise three years.
In an air conditioning system, the compressor connected to the refrigeration circuit has the role of sucking in the vapors to compress them and deliver them through the piping, in a low pressure (inlet) / high pressure (outlet) device.
Compressor failures are the most complicated to spot. But if the air conditioner no longer works in cooling mode or heating mode, it may be responsible.
If a maintenance contract has been signed, no problem, the pro will intervene according to the terms. On the other hand, if no maintenance contract had been signed when purchasing the reversible air conditioning, you will need to contact an authorized repairer.
One last tip, make sure to explain the breakdown symptoms as clearly as possible during your first telephone contact and ask for an initial assessment of the price of the repair before the intervention.
