How To Diagnose Common AC Repair Problems

AC problems are of diverse types. Normally ascertaining the cause of these problems is best left to professionals. But it is crucial to learn how to diagnose them. You must first understand their components, how they operate and you must observe the safety cautions as well as the common problems you can easily fix yourself.

So How Do Air Conditioners Operate?

They use the principle of changing a substance from liquid state to a gaseous state, and then back to liquid state again as it takes away heat. The main parts of air conditioners are the compressors, condensers, receivers, evaporators, switches and sensors. The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant vapor into a hot high pressure vapor which flows to the condenser. Here it is cooled and changed to liquid state, producing latent heat that is transferred to the outside. From the condenser it enters the receiver where moisture is removed and then flows through the thermostat where it drops its pressure and temperature. At the evaporator, the refrigerant boils and flows to the compressor.

These are the things to do when determining your air AC problems.

Follow The Safety And Servicing Cautions

Follow the safety cautions in the manuals. You should never sacrifice your personal safety and the safety of others by avoiding safety cautions. Keep in mind that the air conditioner refrigerant system is pressurized and tightly sealed. Never apply any heat or force on any part of the duct in the air conditioner. You should wear gloves when diagnosing the refrigerant system because it can lead to a permanent damage if it accidentally strikes your skin or hand. Wear eye protection because if refrigerant strikes your eyes it can blind you. You must flush your eyes for more than 15 minutes with large quantities of water if it mistakenly gets into your eyes.

You can diagnose your AC carefully by following the servicing cautions. You must turn the power off when diagnosing your air conditioner. The power switch is usually found outdoors next to the compressor, you can also cut the power at the main electrical panel.

Never try to disconnect or twist the refrigerant line yourself. You must call an expert to perform any disconnections in the refrigeration. But you can inspect them, clean them and ensure that there are no bends that could block the flowing of refrigerant. An expert can perform other tasks such as recharging, tightening the fittings and installing new refrigerant lines and others.

Be Aware Of AC Worst Enemies

Air conditioners have worst enemies. Dirt, moisture, metal particles, improper servicing and incorrect oil are worst enemies of air conditioners. Dirt can cause the breakdown of air conditioners, Moisture causes corrosion and rust. Metal particles and other foreign objects can block the rotation of fans. Incorrect lubricant can cause poor lubrication and form sludge which can break down the air conditioner. It can also contain other additives that can cause the system to break down.

Repairing AC yourself can be dangerous though. Sometimes you should not assume that you can figure what is wrong alone. You can contact an AC repair company, with good reputation to diagnose your air conditioner.

One of the worst AC enemies can be improper servicing. This can include running your air conditioner with incorrect refrigerant charge. Both Overcharging and undercharging can cause troubles on the whole system, for example it can cause air to blow out of the vents at wrong temperatures.

Carry out AC Visual Inspection

You should start your diagnosis by doing visual inspection. Many AC problems can be found by visual inspection. These include obstructed condenser, flipped belts, loose compressor clutch, refrigerant leakage and broken supports or mountings that can cause vibration. You can check for blown fuses or damaged wires. Low refrigerant can cause compressor damage, abnormal pressures and you can use a leak detector to check the entire system for leaks.

The main advantage with air conditioners is that most problems can be physically seen. Most homeowners are able to fix AC problems after carrying out visual inspections. There are repairs that require the knowledge of a skilled professional such as repairing a thermostat and recharging the refrigerant. These are 5 diagnosing points that may help your system to start working again.

Restarting The Power

You can reset your air conditioner by turning the power off for around two minutes and then start it again.

Clean your system

Your air conditioner can need thorough cleaning by removing all dirt around the outside units and clearing the objects which may obstruct the condenser. Remove the protective grills and clean them or replace them. Clean the filter and the condenser fins, keeping in mind that a blocked filter can damage your air conditioner.

Examine your system before assuming that it needs repair

Examine the refrigerant lines, whether there are lose fittings, sharp corners or bends which may restrict airflow. Check the thermostat and ensure that its temperature is set well. Check for the burnt wires or shorted wires in your air conditioner and examine the circuit breakers as well as the fuses if they are tripped or blown.

You can check the controllers and see if they have batteries. Ensure that collect temperature is set or whether heating or cooling is chosen. You can contact an air conditioning repair tampa to help you in setting the controllers and many other major parts you cannot perform on your own. You can also examine whether there is anything unusual at your compressor, ensure that the coils are not obstructed and nothing is stuck in the fan that can cause your system not running.

Comments

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