Air conditioners are mechanical appliances. Even though you don’t get to see the mechanical part within the window or split unit that’s hung on your walls, but there are such parts inside the compressor where the air is compressed or the fan which sucks in outside air for compression. And as any other machine, ACs can stop working or just malfunction. In very hot and humid areas, air conditioners often tend to not cool the air as supposed, instead the machine just keeps trying hard, wastes power generating no or less output. These are the possible reasons why your AC may not be working properly during summer.
Misplacement of Outside Unit
Split air conditioners may fail to operate in their intended way if direct sunlight falls on the outdoor unit. It’s a fan that directs normal temperature into the compressor and cool the air down using the gas. If the air from outside is too hot than the ambient temperature, the AC components may fail to reduce the temperature and reduce the room temperature as well.
Also, putting the outdoor fan in a place where there’s no natural air flow may also cause the AC to malfunction.
Under-capacity Air Conditioner
Every AC comes with a capacity defined by ton or BTU. In modern standards, 1 ton is equal to 12,000 BTU and the number gets bigger. What this means is – the capacity of cooling the amount of air on a specific time period. Each capacity of AC can operate in a room of specific size; for bigger rooms the AC should have higher BTU and for smaller rooms lower BTU will do. All ACs are automated now and a chip turns the cooling unit on and off when the room temperature deters from the cooling temperature set on the AC. For bigger rooms, it takes longer time to cool down causing miscalculations in the AC program and the temperature becomes improper.
Dirty Air Filter and Coils
If dirty air gets through the air input unit, the air filter may get clogged with dirt blocking way for sufficient air to get in. Go through the user manual to learn how to clean the air filter. If you can’t do it yourself, call the service people to do it for you. In some cases, you may need a replacement filter.
Same theory applies on the condenser coils as well. Check for debris collection on the coils and if needed, clean accordingly.
Coolant Refill
There is a coolant gas inside the AC that circulates through the evaporator to cool down the air that has been redirected from outside. The coolant may need refill on a specific time interval. If your ac has been operating for long, check for the coolant.
Faulty Gizmos
The thermostat may wear off with age, or the compressor may not work as it is supposed to. Thermostat wearing off is a more common issue with aging, and frequent power disruption can hurt the compressor if the AC isn’t equipped with power surge protection. Check for both if the AC doesn’t serve properly.
Aging
When an AC has reached the peak of its normal lifetime, all the components inside is supposed to wear off. In such cases a thorough servicing can get the AC more years of operating life.
Conclusion
Like any machine, air conditioners would need proper attention and care. Follow a maintenance routine after the AC has surpassed few years of service life, and it will keep serving like a new home appliance.