Air Conditioning Repair

Opinions may vary on the matter but the general consensus is that the air conditioner has emerged as a very essential piece of technology in our daily lives. It has become one of those gadgets that have successfully metamorphosed from being just a luxury item to an essential accessory of modern life. With the general temperature of the planet rising owing to global warming and rampant pollution, summers are getting longer and hotter. Our levels of discomfort are also rising. Under such circumstances, air conditioners offer a cool respite. Air conditioners are becoming indispensable in controlling an unyielding climate and creating a comfortable working and living environment for humanity.

Air conditioners have found their way not just into our homes and offices, but into our cars, trains and buses too. It has become a standard accessory for most automobiles manufactured today. With the air conditioner running, even the longest of drives along a scorching highway at high noon will be a breeze. One might very well ask oneself, what would we do without air conditioning today?

The air conditioner is a piece of machine, and like all other electro-mechanical devices, can break down or throw up an occasional problem every now and then. Of course you can always reach out for the service desk number and call up the serviceman to get it back working. But most often, an air conditioning system may stop working due to a very minor problem, something that even you can set right. That’s right, you can indeed troubleshoot most air conditioning problems all by yourself. All you need is to have some knowledge about the rudiments of air conditioning and a few simple tools handy. Rest assured, you too can carry out a simple air conditioning repair and get it back in shape in a matter of minutes, without spending on the servicing guy.

Air conditioning repair basics

Let’s start with the basics. You need to know about the important parts of an air conditioner so that you can effectively troubleshoot problems. The major parts of an air conditioner are:

Compressor-Condenser, which is basically an electrically operated, high-pressure pumping device. As the name itself suggests, it compresses low-pressure into high-pressure gas. It is usually located at the outer part of an air conditioning unit.
Thermostat, which basically distributes the liquid refrigerant into the cooling coil.
Duct System, which basically regulates the exchange of cool, conditioned air and the existing air in the occupied space.

The most common air conditioning repairs become necessary for solving such problems as the air conditioner not turning on, or not cooling efficiently, or there is a noticeable reduction in the airflow. Generally the things that need to be replaced in an air conditioner most frequently are a defective condenser, a faulty air-processing unit and a defective duct system unit. If an air conditioner refuses to start, start by checking the circuit breaker and the thermostat. Simply resetting the circuit breaker may solve your problem. If it still fails to start, check the air-processing unit. If the problem persists, check the duct system. It is important to regularly check such parts of an air conditioner as the supply and return ducts, and the filters. The blower unit also needs inspection if the air conditioner is not able to cool the room efficiently.

If you continue feeling uncomfortable even after turning on the air conditioner, it is probably because it’s not doing its job properly. Consider cleaning the machine before calling a technician. Sometimes, a simple round of cooling will solve your problem and will help the machine cool better and faster. The cooling power of an air conditioner may also be seriously affected if the drainage of condensation is not drained properly. Leakage in various forms remains a major problem with air conditioners. So, you should check for any possible leakage, too. Damage to the air ducts or to the refrigerant system can result in the loss of the coolant gas and cause the machine to work less efficiently. Regular cleaning of the front grill and the filter is necessary to keep your air conditioner working like new for years.

However, sometimes the problem could be a more serious one and would necessitate professional servicing by a qualified technician. A very old compressor may not be able to cool a room like a new one. You may have to consider replacing the compressor sometimes and that would call for the help of a trained professional. When you are carrying out an air conditioning repair by yourself, don’t forget to turn off the main before attempting any repair. Special care should be taken if the grill is attached to the fan so that no wires come loose at the time of removing the grill or disconnecting the fan.

Air conditioning repair is possible at home and with the help of the manual, you can troubleshoot many minor problems. However, you are well advised to leave major repairs to trained technicians only.