Summer officially begins on June 21, but many of us have already made use of our air conditioner to mitigate the effects of heat waves that are typical of this time of year. Possibly our appliance has not been used for many months and now it is no longer working as it used to. Take a look at our tips and find out why your air conditioner does not cool and learn how to properly maintain the equipment.
Why is my air conditioner not cooling properly?
When an air conditioner does not cool well it may be due to the following components: clogged filters, outdoor unit, compressor, condenser, fan or temperature probe. A diagnosis by a qualified technician will be necessary.
Causes of malfunctioning air conditioner
Clogged filters of the equipment
The indoor units of our air conditioners have filters that help us to enjoy a better quality air in our room. In order for them to work properly, we must keep them clean and check them frequently.
Clogged filters could cause abnormal operation of our equipment: the air conditioner would work less efficiently, the air flow will be reduced and we may have the feeling that our air conditioner does not cool.
Open the indoor unit, remove the filters and clean them properly following the manufacturer’s instructions. They may need to be changed, in which case, get replacement filters and place them in the air conditioner.
Check the outdoor unit of the air conditioner
This more industrial-looking unit is located outside the room and sometimes we don’t even have visual contact with it. This does not make it less important in the proper functioning of our air conditioner and we must pay special attention to its maintenance.
Check that it is not covered. Sometimes, when it is located on terraces we usually use awnings or covering elements that could cause its operation is not correct. Make a cleaning of the dirt that could be causing that the air flow collected by the fan is not the correct one.
Gas leakage in the air conditioning circuit
The gas in the air conditioning equipment is not a consumable product. We should not have to be recharging it every year. If this happens, it is because we have a gas leak somewhere in the circuit. We must find out where it is, repair it and recharge the gas so that our air conditioner cools properly again. This process and the handling of the gas must be done by a qualified technician.
Problems with the compressor
As mentioned above, the outdoor unit is very important because of the operation that takes place in it. The compressor, which is located in it, is responsible for compressing the refrigerant gas and increase its pressure to reach the condenser. In equipment with inverter technology, the compressor operates at a different speed depending on the information coming from the temperature probe.
Problems in the condenser
This component, also present in the outdoor unit, converts the gas to liquid state so that from the expansion valve it reaches the evaporator of the indoor unit and starts cooling the room.
Check fan operation
The outdoor unit fan is in charge of cooling the two previous components for their correct operation. A malfunction could cause problems that cause the air conditioner to not cool properly.
Problems with the temperature probe
The temperature probe, present in the indoor unit, is responsible for sending the signal to cool the room to the temperature that we have indicated in our thermostat or remote control. If this probe is not working properly, it is possible that it sends an erroneous signal or no signal at all. Are yoou looking for air conditioning service near me? You may check out their page for further info.
How to identify the problem in my air conditioner?
If your air conditioner does not cool properly and you think it has any of the problems mentioned above, it is advisable that an authorized technician and specialist can make a diagnosis of the equipment to see what fault is present and to give you the best solution.
Sometimes, these units also present an error code on the display. By consulting the air conditioner manufacturer’s manual, we can find out what is wrong.