Owning an air conditioner is swell. However, having a unit in your home also means that you have to deal with all the faults that may come with it.

Air conditioners are a true godsent. They give you the ability to change a room's temperature with the click of a button. Having one means not having to suffer through the dreary hot summer months or cold and cruel winter nights. However, like any other appliance in your home, air conditioners need a bit of attention in order to deliver the top-notch performance that you need. To make sure that your air conditioner is running smoothly, ideally a domestic air conditioner is to be fully serviced and sanitized on a yearly basis. This process is called a preventative maintenance agreement which will prepare your hardware for the summer days. Meanwhile to help you along the way here are the top five most common air conditioner faults and problems which you may encounter. 

1. A dirty filter is no good 

No matter how fancy and powerful your air conditioning system is, having a dirty filter means that the airflow will be restricted. Some air conditioners these days are also advertising "self-clean" function which sounds impressive but is nowhere near to how clean an air conditioner is supposed to be. This means that its power will be greatly reduced when it comes to cooling or heating up your home. Cleaning your filters periodically is a great way of ensuring that your system is running correctly. Something which you need to keep in mind, is that when pets or other animals live in the home, the filter needs to be changed more regularly. 

2. Is cleaning your filters enough?

Cleaning your filters isn't enough because it's what you can't see that can harm you and your family. The moist environment created inside your air conditioner through its normal operation is the ideal environment for mould and bacteria to grow and flourish in as little as 3 months. You may dust the filter of your air conditioner. You may even regularly wash it in an antibacterial solution. But contaminants such as mould and bacteria will immediately return. The real problems lie in the areas you can't reach; the indoor coil, fan and drain pans are all moist environments which mould, fungus and bacteria thrive in. An air conditioner contaminated with unacceptable levels of mould & bacteria can suppress your immune system. The best way to ensure that your home & office is protected is to have the mould, fungus and bacteria removed from your air conditioner, then have treatments applied that protect against recontamination.

 

3. Your air conditioner does not want to turn on 

When an air conditioner shuts down, you need to check out your remote's batteries ASAP. Having old or drained batteries will leave you feeling the heat, trust us. If your batteries are fine, it might be a good idea to check the air conditioner's circuit breaker. If none of this works, call a professional to address the issue. 

4. Water is dripping from your unit

Having to deal with condensation is a real hassle. A leaking air conditioner could mean one of two most common problems such as the following 

• The condensate drain pan or pipe are blocked due to build-up of dirt (biofilm) 
• The air conditioner most probably has a refrigerant leak that can cause ice build up on the indoor unit and cause water leaks.

5. The air conditioner is making a lot of strange noises 

Hearing screeches, clanging, thumping and squeals in the middle of the night is no fun, however we have some good news for you — your house is not haunted. Hearing these sounds means that your A/C might have a faulty or dry bearing. It could simply need some lubricant or that you have an issue with the motor assembly. Another issue which might produce strange sounds is a failing motor, loose hardware or worst case scenario a faulty compressor. 

 

If your air conditioner is encountering any faults or presenting you with these issues or any others, contact us at Aeris Environmental Europe. Check out our presence on Yellow for more information.