Hot summer days or just hot days, in general, will make anyone thankful for air conditioning. It allows people to drop the temperature in a room by cooling the air outdoors and bringing it indoors, allowing people to take a break from the heat while switched on.
However, like many home appliances, air conditioners will eventually break unless their owners clean and maintain them regularly unless they want to experience problems with their air conditioning unit.
Here are some of the most common problems you'll most probably experience with your air conditioning unit and how to solve them:
Slow Cooling Or Not Cooling At All
An air conditioner that doesn't cool air or slows to cool air may be the effect of a handful of problems. According to Consumer Reports, an air conditioning unit that is getting direct sunlight in the heat of the day could affect its performance, providing you with less cold air than expected.
Additionally, It could be because the hole where the unit was placed was not properly sealed, allowing warm outdoor air into an otherwise cool room.
To solve these problems, either place the air conditioning unit in a spot where there is less sunlight or inspect and use additional weather stripping to properly seal the hole.
Water Leaks
Just like a refrigerator, an air conditioning unit produces condensation (a.k.a. water) when cooling outside air. Although this is normal on both appliances, condensation shouldn't be dropping inside the room it is cooling.
Cielo WiGle mentioned in their article that the reason why condensation leaks into a room could be due to the unit condensate drain being clogged up by algae or fungi. Another reason that condensation is leaking into the room could be due to the condensate pump (the part responsible for properly releasing condensation) being broken entirely.
To solve this issue, remove the algae/fungi blocking the drain using a wet or dry vacuum or pour 6 ounces of vinegar to kill them, though you may need to consult your unit's manual to locate the drain.
Calling a maintenance crew to fix the broken condensation pump with a replacement will do the job for the latter.
Dirty Air Conditioning Filter
Rooms and the things inside them will eventually get dirty with dust, which is bad for air conditioning units. The accumulated dust inside a unit's filter will block the cold air it produces. The dust could even be blown into the room if the unit's fan is strong enough.
Thankfully, cleaning the filter with soap and water every two weeks and changing the air filter for two months will solve this problem.
White Mechanical takes cleaning and changing filters a step further, with the publication suggesting that changing the air filter every month will prevent dust from accumulating in the unit's filter.
Air Conditioning Unit Vibration
Air conditioning units create a considerable amount of noise thanks to their fan and compressor cycling on and off. However, if you hear a vibrating noise from the unit, it could mean that it is not properly installed.
Before you call the maintenance crew, though, check if the unit is sitting securely in its window and check if some steps were missed during installation.
Capacitor Failure
An air conditioner's capacitor is responsible for giving its monitor the power it needs to start working. However, it is sensitive to power fluctuations, overheating, and damage due to frequent changes in the thermostat setting.
You'll know when the capacitor is broken if you turn on the air conditioner and hear a clicking sound while it turns off immediately.
Unfortunately, unless you have the technical know-how to fix and/or replace the unit's capacitors, your only option is to contact a professional or maintenance crew to fix it for you.
