Why does not my air conditioning cool?
Air conditioners are appliances that are used regularly, so their maintenance is something that cannot be neglected. When an air conditioner stops cooling or presents some other problem, the causes can be varied, but knowing the most common ones could help solve them faster.
“My air conditioner does not cool”
This could be one of the most common situations among those who have problems with this type of equipment. Being an appliance that is kept on for many hours or even not turned off for several days, it is necessary to provide the necessary care in all aspects.
Basic maintenance of an air conditioner ranges from making sure the filters are clean, to checking the gas pressure levels in the pipes. Each component of the team has a fundamental performance, so no detail can be overlooked.
However, it may happen that the air conditioner does not cool properly due to non-maintenance issues. Perhaps a part of the internal computer was damaged or the operating settings were changed by mistake, for example.
Although the effect is noticeable and specific, sometimes the cause is not. Therefore, when determining why the AC is not working as it should, there are several factors that must be ruled out, before finding the source of the problem.
Why is my appliance not cooling?
The reasons that usually accompany this type of problem in an air conditioner are generally caused by poor maintenance of the equipment within the recommended time according to its use.
Below, we will indicate some of the most common causes that could explain why the air conditioner does not cool as it should:
1. Misconfiguration
If your air conditioner doesn’t cool, it only vents, you probably need to take a look at the operating settings.
Using the air conditioning control (check some options by clicking on this link), navigate between the options to make sure you have chosen the desired temperature and that it is appropriate for the room.
Also check that the Fan mode is not activated, since this function is responsible for activating the fan, but not the compressor, so the equipment will only blow air at room temperature.
2. Low gas level
Regularly checking the condition of the air conditioning compressor at home is one of the most important steps to ensure proper operation, since this element is crucial for the overall performance of the equipment.
In the compressor there is a chamber with pressurized gas, which must maintain certain levels in order to provide cooling for the air that passes through the appliance system, without freezing.
When these levels fluctuate due to leaks, the cold air rises or falls, depending on the level of freezing in the pieces of equipment. In some cases, the change in temperature is really considerable and can form pieces of ice with the ability to affect the integrity of the air conditioning parts.
To fix this, you may need to contact a specialist technician who has the proper tools, including the necessary gas with which to recharge the compressor until it reaches normal levels.
3. Dirt in the filters
When you want to fix an air conditioner at home, something that is essential to check are the filters.
Being the barrier between the dirt particles in the room air and the inside of the equipment, the filters must be cleaned on a regular basis. Likewise, they should also be replaced immediately, in case they break or wear excessively.
To check the condition of the filters in a common air conditioner, you must turn it off, to carefully lift the front mask. This will allow you to see the filters and remove them, in case they need to be washed or changed.
4. Bad fans
The equipment’s fans are another fundamental element that must be checked when you want to fix an air conditioner, especially if we consider the relevance of its proper functioning.
Taking into account the requirements of the indoor unit, you must take into account that it may be affected by being installed in a room where it is used to smoking or spraying sprays. These products can accumulate and create films on the fan wheels, thus affecting their ability to rotate.
The solution, in these cases, is to maintain the air conditioning by focusing on cleaning the fan wheels.
If we check the external AC unit, the fan that is installed in it can be blocked by various elements, although one of the most common is to find remains of branches and leaves that birds use to build their nests.
The accumulation of these elements can cause clogging within the space of the fan, thus affecting its ability to cool the room. If you come across this inconvenience, you should clean the box thoroughly and take advantage of taking a look at the condition of the other parts of the AC.
5. Damaged capacitors
The starting capacitors of an air conditioner are in charge of providing the necessary energy for the ignition of the internal and external motors of the equipment. When one of the capacitors goes bad, the motor it’s connected to just won’t start, and this can happen to the compressor, the external fan, or the internal one.
If you notice that, when turning on your air conditioner, one of these elements fails, it is easier to try to change the condenser instead of the electronic board, for example. However, it is a job that is recommended to leave to the experts, to avoid causing damage to sensitive elements of the air conditioning.
Conclusions and recommendations
As you can see, if your air conditioner does not cool as it should, the causes that are affecting it can be varied and even combined with each other. However, if you apply the required maintenance on time, the risk of suffering it decreases considerably.
Therefore, the main recommendation is to use the air conditioner responsibly and guarantee its periodic review, for maintenance according to the periods recommended by the manufacturer.
