Common Air conditioner problems

Water coming from the Indoor unit

One of the most common problems AC users face is water leaking from the evaporator unit. This water can leave unsightly stains on your walls, especially if it leaks from the back or bottom of the unit. While a poorly fitted drainage pipe is often the culprit, dust and debris buildup can also be to blame.

If you want to tackle this issue yourself, here’s a step-by-step guide: First, open the front panel of the indoor unit and remove the filters. Look for the outlet that drains water outside. Take a sturdy wire and carefully insert it into the outlet, passing it through the drainage pipe. Repeat this process 5-6 times to clear out any debris that might be choking the pipe, and you should see an improvement in water flow.

To test if you’ve successfully cleared the blockage, pour a small amount of water into the front panel of the indoor unit. If the water flows down effortlessly, congratulations! You’ve fixed the problem. If not, don’t worry—sometimes it’s best to call in a professional.

Remember, there’s no need to stress if you find this tricky. Professional help is always available to ensure your AC runs smoothly and stays in top shape.
Noise Good brand ACs claim to have noise less than 50 dB for the evaporator unit. If still you are hearing a noise more than that, then it may be due to the lack of service.

Many ACs perform at their best in their initial days. But after some time or a season later, they might face this issue. 
Dusty filters can also be the reason for this noise, which leads to excess consumption of power and makes the fan vibrate to cool the room.
Taking filters out from the evaporator unit and cleaning them with water, can solve this issue easily.
AC tripping problem
This is again one of the most common AC problems that users face: AC tripping problem. Let’s get into details about why MCB( Miniature Circuit Breaker) trips down when everything looks perfect.

Just as a heart powers the human body, the compressor powers an air conditioner. That's why AC specialists make it their mission to protect the compressor at all costs. And that’s where the role of MCBs kicks in. MCBs protect the compressor from all possible damages. MCBs protect the compressor from overheating and electrical faults.  Some of the major reasons why MCBs trip down are:-

1. Failure of condenser unit fan capacitor

To keep the condenser unit cool, the fan throws the heat outside in the environment. But if there is a failure of the fan capacitor, the fan will not be able to calm the condenser unit, and that will raise the temperature of compressor, leading to trip down the MCB to protect the unit from fire.  
So if a fan of the condenser unit is not rotating properly, then you should call a professional to have a look at the fan capacitor. 

2. Not knowing the exact size of AC

Overheating of compressor is also caused due to the inappropriate size of the AC. If your room requires AC of 2 tons and you have purchased of 1 ton, then the compressor needs to work hard to cool down the room, which will eventually heat up the compressor, leading to tripping down the MCB. While making a purchase make sure that your AC is according to your room dimensions to avoid this problem encountered in future.   

3. Direct exposure to sunlight,

If the electrical connections are proper, then many times MCBs trip down because of the
overheating of the compressor.

The condenser unit is generally exposed directly to the sunlight. In the intense summer, the temperature of the condenser unit even touches around 75-80°C. Sometimes even this benchmark is crossed, which causes overheating of the compressor and now you are very well aware of what will happen next.

Try to keep the condenser unit in a shade if possible, this will avoid the direct exposure of sunlight towards the unit.

4. Low Voltage
This usually happens in summer, when every other appliance and other house, consumes more power than usual. Using stabilizers is the perfect solution to avoid the MCB issue here.
Refrigerant Leak

If you are sensing a weird odour in your room, when you turn on your AC, it may be due to the refrigerant leak. We have already discussed this in detail in our other blog. Here it is:
https://coolingpointgkp.com/blog/how-to-know-your-ac-gas-is-leaking
You can have a read over there, but mostly this problem is best solved with the help of a professional. They will not only keep us safe but can also handle things if something out of the syllabus kicks in.   

Cooling
If your Air conditioner is not cooling the room enough, below are the possible reasons for that:-

Dusty Filters
Open the front panel of the evaporator unit, take out the filters placed before the coils and give them a gentle wash with the water. Place them again before the coil, now try to analyze the temperature of the air coming out of the unit. If there is a cool breeze coming out of the unit, Hurray, it worked well. But if not, do not worry, let’s explore other reasons.

Faulty sensor

There are chances that the unit conditioner’s sensor is not able to sense the temperature properly inside of the room, because of which the compressor is at chill to make the effort to cool down the room. It would be better to get it replaced by a technician.

Gas Leak

Maybe there is a gas leak or a puncture caused in the coils of the unit. You can check out this blog to have a detailed description of the problem and the possible solution regarding the gas leak.
https://coolingpointgkp.com/blog/how-to-know-your-ac-gas-is-leaking

Weak capacitor

Earlier we discussed the fan capacitor in the tripping issue of the unit, but the compressor also has its capacitor. If it gets weak, then the compressor cannot function at its full capacity, which prevents the unit from cooling down the room properly.   

Status light blinking

Just like our cars, ACs also have status sounds, symbols and error codes. These codes help us directly diagnose the problem. By looking in the manual, we can easily identify, what problem our AC is facing and accordingly, we can look for help. 

Conclusion

These are some of the most common problems, causes, and solutions that AC users encounter in their day-to-day lives. While many issues can be resolved with basic troubleshooting, others may require professional intervention to ensure optimal performance and safety. Attempting simple fixes on your own can be empowering, but if the problem persists or seems beyond your expertise, don't hesitate to call a professional. Not only can they ensure the unit’s safety and efficiency, but they can also diagnose and address any underlying issues. By balancing DIY efforts with professional assistance, you can keep your air conditioner running smoothly and efficiently, providing comfort and peace of mind.