Aircon Servicing Forum Frequently Asked Questions
How To Troubleshoot Air-Conditioning Units?
Air-conditioning is now a necessity in cars, offices and shopping malls, and is essential in most residential homes. While an air-conditioning system can be a real blessing when it is hot outside, it becomes a real pain when it is not working properly. You can easily diagnose and fix some small problems common to most air-conditioning systems yourself. Therefore it will be beneficial for you if you know some information on how you can troubleshoot air-conditioning units.
This section elaborates the various common technical issues that many customers frequently face. We will also explain why air-conditioner units should be maintained regularly. The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about air-conditioning units.
1. Why is the air-conditioning unit not working?
If the air-conditioner is not working and does not produce the expected coldness, it could be due to faulty electrical cable or there is a problem with the wiring or the P.C.B.
2. Why is the room still hot even when the air-conditioning unit is on?
Below are some common causes to why a room is not cold.
- The air-conditioner temperature is set too high.
- The remote control is not set to the cooling mode.
- Parts may be faulty.
- Windows and doors are opened.
- Airflow direction is not set appropriately.
- Object blocking the air inlet/outlet of the indoor/outdoor units.
- The blower and air filters may be dirty and clogged with dust.
- The fan coil is dirty which results in weak discharge of cool air.
- The outdoor condenser is dirty resulting in overheating of compressor.
- The air conditioner unit installed is undersized and not appropriate for the room size.If some parts are faulty, a qualified service technician is needed to troubleshoot.
3. Why does the air-conditioning unit produce a bad smell?
The air-conditioning unit pulls in the smells that exist in the atmosphere. As such, the smell of the furniture, cigarettes, food or other pollutants is being absorbed into the unit and discharged together with the airflow.
The solution to this is an intensive chemical treatment to rectify this problem.
4. Why is the air-conditioning unit leaking water?
There are 2 main reasons why your air-con unit is leaking. The drainage pipe could clogged with dirty particles so the water cannot be drained out, causing water leakage from the unit. Another reason could be due to poor installation by the contractor whereby there is improper gradient of the drainage pipe.
5. Why is the air-conditioner noisy?
The noise of an air-conditioning unit is usually caused by:
- Vibration noise of a dirty blower/indoor fancoil/outdoor condenser.
- Faulty parts in the air-conditioning system which may need to be replaced.
- Loose mounting of the air-conditioning system’s components.
This can be fixed during servicing by cleaning and lubricating the moving parts in the air-conditioning unit.
6. What are the advantages of regular servicing of the air-conditioning unit?
Regular servicing of the air conditioning units will provide the following benefits:
- The aircon will perform at is optimum potential resulting in a cooler environment.
- The power consumption of the air conditioning unit will be lower.
- Water leaking from the air-conditioning will be minimized.
- It reduces the need for repair of the air-con.
- This increases the life span of the air-con.
7. How often should the servicing of the air-con units be?
In general, it is recommended that air-conditioners in residential households be serviced and checked every 2 to 4 months to ensure reliable and efficient operation. The duration varies with the amount of usage and other environmental factors. At the minimum, it is required that aircon servicing be done at least quarterly.
It is advisable to service air-conditioning units for office and commercial usage every month.
8. How long does the servicing take?
For normal servicing, it will typically take between 15 to 20 minutes per unit.
9. Can we do the general air-conditioning service and maintenance by ourselves?
You can do some basic maintenance yourselves like washing the filters and cleaning the fancoil cover. These should be cleaned once in every 2 weeks to prevent dust accumulation and to improve the air conditioning of the room.
However, it is advisable to engage qualified service technicians as they have the proper tools & equipment for a more thorough cleaning when servicing the aircon, check the safety circuits, refrigerant pressure and also vacuum the drainage pipe.
10. Why does the air-con need chemical cleaning / chemical washing?
Chemical cleaning is necessary when a general servicing cannot improve the condition. It is a more thorough process of cleaning the air conditioner and is advisable for those units which are badly clogged. When an air conditioner is badly clogged/choked and a general service can’t improve the condition, an overhaul is necessary. In an overhaul, the air conditioner is dismantle part by part and chemically wash.