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In some parts of the world, many look forward to the bliss of the hot summer days. This is not exactly the case in Australia because the heat waves can make you uncomfortable. During times like this, Aussies take refuge inside their homes or offices where they have air conditioners.
The relief this provides has made air conditioners a necessity for many in this part of the world. For this reason, many homes in Australia ensure they have good air conditioners.
However, with constant use of these appliances come wear and tear.
Issues with the air cons often arise; you may not know what to do unless you are handy. In this article, you will discover the most common air conditioning problems you may encounter in Australia and how to resolve them.
Why You May Encounter Problems With Your AC
If you continue to use an appliance for some time and it is not correctly maintained, it may stop working. Similarly, an air conditioner whose service you have been enjoying may develop faults or stop working altogether if it is not maintained correctly.
Failure to schedule and have professionals service your AC units can be a significant problem. One of the best ways to be assured of continued use of these appliances is to adhere to servicing schedules strictly. Doing this can go a long way in identifying problems on time and rectifying them early.
Any of the common problems may occur at a time you least expect, and the experience during this period may be very unpleasant for you. Therefore, having some ideas about the common issues you may encounter with your air conditioning makes sense. Often, air conditioner troubleshooting involves a straightforward problem that requires a simple solution.
Some frequently seen issues with air conditioning include:
- Your air conditioning system no longer cools your home as it should
- It no longer turns on and has stopped working
- A fault with the central AC system which you are unable to identify
- You keep hearing loud and strange noises from your air conditioner
In most cases, the typical air conditioning problems and their solutions may apply to different air conditioning systems. However, in some cases, they can be specific to a particular type of system.
Common Problems and Solutions of AC Systems
As you already know, ducted and split system air conditioning systems comprise indoor and outdoor units, controls, airflow outlets, piping and lines, various connections and so on.
Any of these components can break down or begin to underperform. The result of this can leave your home baking hot during the scorching hot summer months or without warmth during the cold winter months in Australia.
To understand what steps to take in this kind of situation, a more detailed explanation of common air con problems and their solutions will be required.
AC No Longer Cools
Your central AC system may continue to run without cooling your home. Worse still, it may release warm air into the rooms where installed. Another grave issue you can have on your hand is an overheated air conditioner. The causes of these types of problems may be more than one.
Possible causes
If the air conditioner's vents are not open or only a few are open, there could be problems. Any of these can stop the appliance from letting cold air out to sufficiently cool your home despite seemingly working fine.
If you are sure the air conditioner is not too small for the size of the room it was installed in, and none of the other issues already highlighted have occurred, then it could be a technical or maintenance-related problem.
Some of these technical or maintenance-related problems include:
- Clogged and dirty filters
- Frozen evaporator coils from blocked filters
- Dirty condenser unit
- A faulty thermostat
- Electrical issues with the wiring and condenser
- Low refrigerant
- Insulation issues
- Air loss as a result of misaligned ductwork
- Clogged-up or damaged ducts
Any of these culprits can be responsible for causing your ducted or split-system ac units not to cool your home sufficiently.
Solutions
You can easily handle non-technical issues with your air conditioning system, such as adjusting the controls or thermostat and opening the vents of the appliance. When the filters in your split system AC units are dirty, you can remove them and wash them in warm water. This may be difficult to do with ducted system filters because they are not easily accessible by a non-technical person.
You can use a hose to give the condenser a good cleaning. Any other thing responsible for causing your air conditioning to fail to deliver cold air in your home needs the expertise of a qualified HVAC technician.
AC Drips Water
Water is often seen dripping from outdoor AC units when they are in use. This is expected, especially under hot and humid weather. If there is a small frost build-up on the outdoor unit during cold weather conditions, the frost will eventually melt when the temperature rises.
This can occur in ducted and split system air conditioners and is quite normal. However, if water drips from your indoor AC unit when the system has been turned off, you are potentially looking at a problem with one or some of the unit’s components.
Possible causes
The following are some of the reasons that may cause abnormal water leakage from your ac unit inside or outside:
- Blocked drain pipes
- Dirty filters
- A broken condensate pump
- A clogged condensate pan
- Refrigerant gas leaks
Solutions
Under the scenario painted above, you can do little by yourself. It is best to call a qualified AC technician to inspect the unit and take the necessary steps to rectify the problem. This is even more so if you use a ducted air conditioning system because the components are awkward to reach, and troubleshooting by yourself is not advised.
On the other hand, if you use split system AC units, you can correct the blockages if you can clean the filters or drain pipes yourself. However, if you are not sure about what problems you are facing, it is recommended to leave the job to a professional.
AC Refuses to Turn On
If you find yourself in this type of situation, it can be frustrating, especially if it happens without warning under a scorching temperature. Even if you are going to change your location, you will still need to resolve the issue of the malfunctioning air conditioning later.
Possible causes
Some things that may cause your air conditioning system’s failure to turn on can be pretty straightforward. These simple issues should be easy for you to fix, but the more complex ones will require the attention and skills of a certified HVAC technician. They include the following:
- A blown fuse
- Tripped AC circuit breaker
- Flat batteries in the thermostat or AC remote control
- Wrong thermostat settings
Solutions
The very first step you need to take is to check and replace the flat batteries of the temperature control devices. If this does not provide desired results, you should check the thermostat settings and confirm it is in cooling mode and at the desired temperature.
Check to see if the outdoor condenser is running so that you know the magnitude of the problem you are facing. If there is no improvement after checking all these out, you may have to call a professional HVAC expert.
All that may be required is changing circuit breakers to get your air conditioner working properly. The worst-case scenario could be a damaged compressor or motor, in which case a replacement of the parts will need to be made.
Allow Professionals to Handle Troubleshooting
While you can save some money while troubleshooting your air conditioner malfunctions, the process carries some risks that may outweigh the benefits. It is even considered illegal for non-qualified people to carry out repair attempts on ac systems because of the danger it portends to themselves and others.
Another good thing you should consider is that the warranty manufacturers place on their products will become void if you carry out unauthorised air conditioner repairs by non-experts.
