Help With Your Home And Garden

Common Air Conditioning Problems You May Face With Your Central Unit

by Carolyn Fox

When your air conditioning unit fails, it's good to know some common troubleshooting tips so you can either address these problems on your own or know what to expect by way of repairs. In some cases, your air conditioner may be failing because of simple issues you can fix in a few minutes or because you're not using the unit properly. Note a few common air conditioning problems you may need to fix for your central unit.

1. Switches on and off consistently

You want to avoid having your unit switch on and off consistently because this puts added stress on all the parts. The fan and motor shouldn't be switching on and off more than necessary as this can wear out the bearings and cause the wires to become frayed after some time.

Very often, a unit will switch on and off consistently when it's too large for the home itself. It will quickly blow cold air through the vents and cool the home within seconds, and then turn itself off. This constant powering through the cycles can be more damaging than if the system simply ran for several minutes to cool the home slowly and consistently. Consider switching to a smaller unit or adjusting the thermostat so you avoid this wear and tear on the unit itself.

2. Not cool in the first place

Your air conditioner may push air through the vents but it may not seem very cool. This can be from a low level of refrigerant, which is often the result of poor installation. A technician may not add the right level of refrigerant when the unit is installed and, in turn, this can mean that the air is not cool as it moves through the unit and then into the vents of the home. If the unit is in direct sunlight, then the air might not get cool as it goes through the coils that are meant to keep it cool.

3. Doesn't switch on at all

If you've checked the thermostat to ensure that it's working, chances are there is a sensor inside the air conditioning unit that has failed. This sensor communicates with the thermostat and reads when the unit should switch on and when it should switch off to maintain proper temperatures. The sensor may not be reading the right information from the thermostat so it doesn't realise your room is very warm. The motor may have also simply burned out and needs replacing; if the unit is very old, this is a common occurrence. It may be better to contact air conditioning repairs professionals if this is the case. 

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