subject: Air Conditioning Troubleshooting – Top 5 Tips to Know When It's Time to Get Professional Help [print this page] Air Conditioning Troubleshooting Top 5 Tips to Know When It's Time to Get Professional Help
Air conditioning is so much a part of the modern lifestyle that even thinking about problems can be a big worry when theair conditioner starts acting up. It's important to know when there's a problem, and what to do about it.
How to recognize problems with your air conditioning
The signs of an air conditioning system with problems are sometimes obvious, sometimes not.
These are the typical signs of trouble:
Noisy units
Strange sounds from the unit
Drop off in performance
Odd smells, particularly electrical smells
Less obvious signs:
The power bill goes up dramatically in peak seasons
You find that the home areas are strangely stuffy, with stale air
Too much humidity
An allergy returns to life
Molds reappearing
These are all signs of something, and you may also want to consider:
The age of the unit
Any known problems with wiring in the home
New electrical equipment in the home which might be affecting power supply. (Overloading can happen, even when you're being careful.)
Your air conditioning manual can be your best friend
The first step is to check your manual for known issues. The manual contains a lot of easily recognizable symptoms, and basic instructions for dealing with them. You'll also notice that there are a series of issues with the units which really aren't big deals.
The troubleshooting section will also include some basic information about servicing requirements, so you'll be better informed about any important issues.
Simple checks
A look at the system may find some obvious external problems. Someone may have been playing with the controls. Something may have been stuck next to the unit, which is naturally reacting. Anything that looks out of place may be an issue.
Important: When checking , do not open the unit, or make contact with the internal systems.
Play safe- Don't try to do it yourself
This is critically important: Do not, under any circumstances, try to fix a unit yourself.
There are good reasons for this:
Working with faulty electrical equipment can be extremely dangerous.
All forms of electrical equipment can be fire hazards.
Servicing is supposed to be done by licensed servicing people, by law
Warranty- Any attempt to service the unit by anybody other than the specified service operators may void the warranty.
Many units contain proprietary hardware which can't be replaced by anyone but authorized manufacturer's agents.
Some units, like a bigducted air conditioner, really need to be serviced by people who are properly equipped to handle them.
Getting help when you need it
The safest and definitely best option is to call the appropriate service centre and explain the situation. Most problems requiring servicing are pretty easy to diagnose and fix. You may find that you've got the problem fixed by the time you hang up.
