Before you know it, those living in the residential building you manage will be cranking up their air conditioning systems. You’ll want to start the warmer weather months in a comfortable zone, which means as complaint-free as possible for you and the residents. A preemptive air conditioning troubleshooting mission and appropriate residential air conditioning maintenance can aid you in your goal of smoothly operating air conditioning systems and happy residents. Let’s take a look at the most common air conditioning problems.
Air conditioning troubleshooting: The usual suspects.
When warm weather hits and the heat is on, the last thing you want is for your air conditioning to be off. Maintaining steady comfort in your building is essential to keep your residents content. Here are some of the most prevalent problems you can avoid by following common-sense operational procedures and routine residential air conditioning maintenance.
1. The AC won’t turn on
At the top of your list of fears when you initiate your air conditioning troubleshooting review might be that you’ll turn on the system and hear nothing and feel nothing. The lack of power could be as simple as a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker, meaning you’ll have to reset the circuit breaker or replace a blown use. It could also result from broken or loose wiring or thermostat problems.
2. Thermostat glitches
If your thermostat is not working or incorrectly calibrated, it may not tell the air conditioner to turn on. Suppose you have set your thermostat to the lowest temperature, and the system still does not start. In that case, it’s probably time to call your HVAC repair technician, who will likely have to recalibrate or replace the thermostat. The older, dial-type thermostats are often subject to calibration problems, but sometimes, the newer programmable thermostats are not easy to program. When troubleshooting air conditioning, you should consult your thermostat manual to ensure you have programmed your thermostat properly.
3. Air conditioner problems are not cool – low refrigerant equals low efficiency
While air conditioning troubleshooting uncovers an underperforming unit that can result from the low refrigerant, if the refrigerant level is low, it usually means it was undercharged at installation or has a leak. If your building is not cooling properly or the air is somewhat sticky, a low refrigerant level could be the culprit. With the right refrigerant level, heat and humidity can efficiently be removed from the air. The refrigerant is the lifeblood of your air conditioning unit and is akin to the motor oil in your vehicle.
Although your AC technician might discover a leak during the air conditioning troubleshooting process, unfortunately, it’s not usually a matter of just topping off the refrigerant. When a vehicle frequently needs oil, it’s usually a sign of a bigger problem. Likewise, with an air conditioner system, low refrigerant is often a sign of a leak, and you will need a qualified HVAC expert to fix it. If multiple leaks are detected, you may need to replace the unit.
4. Condenser problems will heat things up
Don’t forget to look at the condenser coil when drawing up an air conditioning troubleshooting plan. The condenser has an important job to do. It is responsible for discharging the heat removed from the air by releasing it outside of the building. The condenser coil is part of your outdoor unit, exposing it to dirt, soot and assorted pollutants that make it grimy. If the waves are dirty, it will interfere with the transfer of heat, make your unit work harder and add to the wear and tear on your system.
5. It’s getting hot in here – ironically, this could mean a frozen evaporator coil
While embarking on your air conditioning troubleshooting mission, consider that your evaporator coil is the reason for warmer temperatures than you would like. This coil contains a refrigerant that absorbs heat. When airflow is diminished, ice can form on the evaporator coil. If this occurs, you could have warm or no air from your air conditioner supply registers. The restricted airflow could result from dirty air filters, low refrigerant or obstructed return air in your ductwork. This brings us to our next problem to look at when you’re conducting your air conditioning troubleshooting project.
6. Leaking or dirty ducts
If you’re experiencing warmer air than you’d like or if some rooms are cool and some are warm, it could mean improper airflow through your ducts. Though a central air conditioning system is seemingly sealed with ductwork running through walls and ceilings, it is not unusual for tears to develop in your ductwork, sometimes due to rodents or inattentive workers.
The air ducts carry the return air to your system for treatment and cooling. If there’s a rip in the vents, the cool air will escape inside your walls, which is not beneficial to your residents’ comfort or wallet. Leaky air ducts can make the entire home warmer, making your system work harder and increasing your electric bills. So, put “duct inspection” on your air conditioning troubleshooting checklist.
7. Drainage difficulties
Where does the moisture removed by your air conditioner go? It is designed to be removed from your space through a drain line into a pan and funneled into a drain. If the drain is clogged and the pan overflows, the water will back up and damage your system. The backup can cause water leaks that damage your building and its contents. You want to notice the drainage lines when exploring air conditioning troubleshooting tactics.
8. Not a fan of a noisy system?
Your system has a fan that blows indoor air over its evaporator coil to cool the air and a condenser coil fan that blows air over the condenser to transport the heat from the building to outside. A prevalent noise source is the fan motors, which could be plagued by dirt, debris, worn belts or deteriorating bearings. If noise is detected when completing your air conditioning troubleshooting activities, it’s best to shut off your unit and call an HVAC professional to avoid further damage.
9. A window of opportunity
According to the Dubai Department of Energy, one of the top air conditioning problems is improper operation and heading the list under that category is open windows and outside doors. It makes sense. We all have memories of parents telling us to shut the windows when the air conditioner was on in our home or car. So, one of the easiest and most inexpensive problems to fix on our air conditioning troubleshooting mission is to ensure windows or doors are closed; otherwise, you are undermining your air conditioner’s efficiency.
