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Air conditioners are one of the appliances that make a home complete. The benefits of having an air conditioning system installed cannot be overemphasised. Therefore, it is no surprise that many ensure they have at least one in their homes.
Only a few things can be as disappointing as turning on your air conditioner on a hot summer afternoon and realising it is not cooling fast enough or at all. We all know what it feels like and have been at the receiving end under hot and humid weather.
If you have not had this experience yet, the last thing you would want on a hot summer afternoon is to find out that your air conditioner is not cooling enough or has stopped altogether. In case you are in this situation, do not despair.
An air conditioner not cooling enough could be a result of various reasons. Some can result from technical faults, while others are due to non-technical issues. This post will teach you what may be responsible for this and how best you can handle the situation.
Reasons ACs May No Longer Blow Cold Air
Although there are various reasons why an air conditioner may stop blowing cold air in the room where it is installed, experience has shown that the main reason is due to a lack of proper maintenance.
The same maintenance principle applies to ducted systems and split systems. With the proper maintenance of your air conditioner, there is a good chance you will use and enjoy it for a long time. Common reasons that may make your air con not cool your room correctly include the following:
The AC filter has become dirty
Once the air filter of an air con becomes dirty, the AC will begin to overwork. Irregular air management will start to take place in the appliance. With a clean and properly maintained air con with good air filters, cool air will be allowed to flow into the home it is installed.
When dust accumulates around the air filters, it will cause them to heat up slightly. This will, in turn, affect the proper flow of cold air. Due to the accumulated dust in such ac units, only polluted air will be supplied in the rooms where they are installed.
By conducting a quick inspection of the air filters every month, you will be able to ascertain if they are clean and working correctly. If there is any problem with them, it is at this point you will address them.
A faulty compressor
The compressor is an essential component in an air conditioner. Its primary responsibility is to cool air that passes through the unit before being pumped into the room. When a unit's compressor has problems, it becomes evident that cooled air can no longer be delivered into the room it is installed.
Problems that have to do with your air conditioner not delivering cold air may be related to the blockage of the compressor. This cooled air can no longer flow as expected from the unit to the outside. This blockage could result from dirt, dust, or tiny debris. Whatever the cause, it can be corrected by a skilled technician.
Frozen compressor
It is not in all cases where the compressor fails to work due to dirt or debris. In many instances, failure of the compressor to work correctly has been linked to its freezing up. This can cause the whole air-con to stop functioning correctly.
The compressor is meant to make air condense so that it becomes cool before being pumped into the room. If the flow of the cold air is hampered, it can cause the compressor to freeze.
You should check the compressor and defrost it in case it has frozen. If it is damaged, you should repair or replace it if necessary.
Leaky air con coolant
The compressor uses a particular type of fluid called coolant or refrigerant. This fluid is essential for the compressor to function properly, without which it cannot cool the air that is sucked into the unit.
The compressor uses the same principle in the AC unit as it does in a fridge. The pumped coolant gets recycled by running through an evaporator coil in order to cool the air.
If the refrigerant leaks, the air conditioner will not have enough in the compressor to provide cold air. If the leaks are repaired and the coolant refilled, this problem will be solved easily.
Dirty or leaky evaporator coils
The evaporator component comprises a series of coils that allows the refrigerant to flow around the unit while circulating cool air. This component is very important in the air con as it is responsible for the cooled air you expect the unit to produce. If this component is dirty, it will not work as it should.
This component will sometimes begin to leak, and its efficiency will be adversely affected when this happens. You should be reasonably assured by cleaning it regularly and checking that it is not leaking the coolant.
Faulty thermostat
It may happen that you can have your air conditioning unit switched on and yet not feel any cooled air from it. Upon checking, you may even be able to verify that all the necessary components required for cooling air are in good condition. During such circumstances, the problem may be with the thermostat. It could either be broken, or you simply need to adjust its settings.
If the thermostat is not reading the set temperature, it will fail to trigger the entire air conditioning system to generate cold air as it should. The solution to this issue is to adjust the thermostat settings or replace them entirely.
Faulty circuit breaker
If you are sure the problem is not coming from the thermostat, the next place to check should be the circuit breaker box in your home. Most air conditioners consist of two separate components: the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.
If power is not supplied to the outdoor unit, it will be impossible for the indoor unit to provide the much-needed cold air to the room it is installed. In such a situation, you should reset any tripped circuit breaker. If the problem persists after doing this, you should consider calling in an expert to help you.
Other Reasons Your Air Con is not Cooling
If your air-con keeps breaking down, it may result from one of two common issues. The air conditioning unit you are using may need to be updated. Air conditioners with worn-out parts cannot serve you well in your home and should be changed for new ones.
The other reason you may experience this is if the air con you are using is not the right size for the room it is installed. The unit will not be able to provide you with enough cooled air due to its small size and capacity. Ensuring that your air conditioner is of the right size will help you to prevent it from overworking to deliver the preferred temperature conditions.
Call a Professional to Address the Problem
There is a whole lot you can do to ensure that your air conditioner serves you well. On top of this list is ensuring that you maintain and service your air conditioner regularly. Doing this alone can help to prevent a whole lot of issues many struggle with when their air conditioners become faulty.
However, there is a limit to what you can do if you are not a certified HVAC technician. When the problem you have encountered with your air conditioner is technical, you need the services of a professional to fix the issue. The outcome of engaging an expert is having an air conditioning unit that works properly and efficiently to cool your home.
