The Most Common Problems With Air Conditioning Systems

Air conditioning systems are quite complex systems, so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of ways that they can go wrong. Though you can fix the simpler ones yourself, many will require professional attention. This week on the blog here at Askews we’re going to walk you through some of the most common faults, as well as what to do when you find them.

Your Air Conditioner Is Blowing Warm Air

If your air conditioner is blowing warm air, don’t panic. As the foremost frequent air conditioning problem, there are a number of possible causes, which means it’s quite feasible it can be easily fixed.

Check Your Thermostat

It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many times this is the cause! It might be set to high, or someone in your workplace might have adjusted it without you noticing. If your thermostat is programmable, make sure you’ve set it so that it’s not using energy unnecessarily. Remember, for every degree you can stand to raise the temperature, it’ll save you about 3% on your air conditioning costs – and it might take a bit of experimenting to find the optimum office temperature.

You Might Have A Dirty Filter

Filters can easily become clogged with dirt and dust, which means that it can severely restrict airflow through the unit, having a huge impact on its efficiency and effectiveness. It’s one of the many reasons why air conditioning systems need regular service and maintenance.

The Refrigerant May Be Leaking

Your air conditioning’s refrigerant is the chemical that it uses to cool the air processed by the unit, so if there’s a lack of refrigerant, as you can imagine it can play pretty serious havoc with the unit’s overall effectiveness. You can check this by examining the larger of the two copper lines that run into the condenser. If the refrigerant is at sufficient levels, the line will sweat and feel cold to the touch. If it doesn’t, it’s likely to be a symptom of a more serious underlying problem.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of the possible causes, just a rundown of the most likely ones. If it hasn’t fixed the problem or you’re still unsure, we’d certainly recommend calling out a qualified engineer.

The Air Conditioner Isn’t Evenly Cooling The Room

While sometimes this can be a result of external factors – for example, part of the room being in shade while the other is bathed in sunlight – other times the disparity can be dramatic enough for you to notice, especially if you can’t feel any cool air from the conditioner.

Leaks Or Blocked Vents

This particular problem can sometimes be a sign of poor installation, in that it can be caused by leaks in the ductwork supplying different rooms. On the other hand, it can also be caused by poorly insulated walls. Unless you’re able to immediately identify the issue as a blocked vent, your best bet may well be calling a heating and cooling engineer.

Your Air Conditioning Unit Is Making Strange Noises

Another frequent issue, and unfortunately often a major indicator of a severe problem in your unit. Again, there’s a number of possible causes, but often our engineers find that it’s to do with a motor bearing problem, or a faulty internal belt (especially if it’s a squealing, screeching sound). This is definitely an issue that we’d strongly advise against trying to fix yourself, because you could open yourself up to the very real risk of injury. Instead, make sure that the system is off and call an Askews engineer immediately, who will be able to identify the issue far more quickly and safely.

We hope this blog has been useful in helping you to understand the causes of some of the most common problems with your air conditioning unit. If you’re still looking for answers as to why your unit isn’t working properly, we’ll be bringing you another blog in the very near future, with even more common issues that can go wrong.

In the meantime, the easiest way to fix many of the most serious issues with your air conditioning unit is to prevent them – and to that end, a regular service and maintenance contract for air conditioning can be a useful resource! You can click here to get a free quote, or call us on 01282 863 825 to book an appointment.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @askews_Ltd

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