Does your air conditioner pump warm air that does not satisfy you rather than the cool, fresh breeze you desperately require in the Malaysian heat? You’re not alone. A failure to cool an aircond is one of the most problematic and irritating issues homeowners and businesses in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor have to deal with.
You do not have to panic and think about a giant repair bill because; there are numerous reasons that are easy and even self-solvable. This will be a guide that will take you through the 7 most typical causes as to why your AC may be failing you and what you can do about it.
1. A Clogged or Dirty Air Filter
It is the most frequently encountered reason of minimal cooling and is not usually difficult to resolve.
The Issue: Your air conditioners have a dust removing filter that captures dust, pollen and other objects. Over time, it becomes clogged. This limits the amount of air flowing necessitating the unit to strain a lot in order to draw air through. The system is unable to circulate cool air effectively and your energy bills are out of the sight.
The Fix: Find your air filter (most commonly on the back of the front panel of your indoor unit) pulls it out and inspect it. When it is grey and dusty, then it should be cleaned. In case of reusable filters, you should wash it softly in water and dry thoroughly and install it again. In the case of disposable filters, change it. This is to be done after every 1-3 months particularly in dusty cities such as KL.
2. Low Refrigerant Gas
Refrigerant is the blood of your AC system- it is the chemical that literally absorbs and gets the heat out of your room.
The Issue: When you have low level of your refrigerant, there is no way that your system will be effective in cooling the air. A leak in the system is almost always related to low refrigerant. One could also observe the AC never stopping without achieving the desired temperature or ice appearing on the evaporator coils.
The Fix: This is not a DIY job. This involves the use of a licensed technician who has special equipment to handle refrigerant. In case you notice that there is a leakage, you must hire a professional to repair aircond. They will identify the leak, fix it and make sure that the system is filled with the right quantity of gas to recover its cooling capacity.
3. Contaminated Condenser or Evaporator Coils
The AC has two groups of coils which are crucial to heat transfer. The evaporator coil takes the heat out of your indoor air and the condenser coil puts it out of the window.
The Issue: These coils would be covered by dirt and grime over months and years. This soil of dirt is a kind of insulator that does not allow the coils to work. The condenser coil (outdoor unit) is dirty; it is unable to give out heat, resulting in the overheating of the compressor and its possible breakdown.
The Solution: In the case of the internal unit, the filter should be clean otherwise the evaporation coil will become dirty. In the case of outdoor condenser unit, one should make sure that there should be 2-3 feet of free airspace around it. It is not easy to clean up the coils by you and may ruin the finny ones. But for a proper clean that restores efficiency, nothing beats a professional aircond chemical wash. This service safely blasts away years of built-up dirt that you simply can’t reach yourself.
4. A Faulty Compressor
The compressor is the key of your outside unit. It circulates refrigerant all over the system.
The Issue: When the compressor blows, then the refrigerant will not run and you will have no cooling. The unit may make a clicking sound or a hum but nothing comes.
The Solution: Compressor problems are critical. It involves the diagnosis by a trained technician. It may be sometimes an electrical problem, however, in many cases, a broken compressor would be a great deal of repair, or even a reason to think about having a new aircond installation in case you have an old inefficient one.
5. Frozen Evaporator Coils
Apparently, it is counter-intuitive but excessive ice can even lead to a deficit of cooling.
The issue: When air passage is blocked (by a clogged filter or a broken fan) or when the refrigerant quantity is small, the evaporator coil may become excessively cold, and freeze. This ice will block all airflow and therefore no cool air will enter your room.
The Solution: The first thing to do is to shut off your AC and turn on the fan only. This will help melt the ice. After thawing, inspect and wash your air filter. In case the filter is clean then probably it is a bigger problem such as low refrigerant and a call to a technician is necessary to check.
6. Thermostat Problems
In other cases, it is not the problem of the AC unit, but its controller.
The Issue: The thermostat may be inaccurately calibrated, that is, it fails to read the temperature in the room properly and fails to change the AC to on when required. This is more frequent with the older mechanical thermostats. On the one hand, it is only simple user error, such as setting it to a fan or heat mode accidentally!
The Solution: Check your settings the second time. Make sure that it is set to the Cool option and the temperature is lower than the room temperature. When you think that it is faulty, you can replace it with a programmable or even a smart thermostat that would provide a more precise control over the temperature and a greater amount of energy savings.
7. Blocked or Leaky Air Ducts
In the case of central air systems or systems that have ducting, the issue may be concealed by your walls.
The Problem: When the ducts that move cold air all through your house start leaking, it is not into your living room but into your ceiling or wall cavity that the cool air is escaping. On the same note, when they are obstructed by debris or collapsed, then there is a limitation on airflow.
The Solution: HVAC experts should diagnose ductwork problems. They are able to conduct a duct leakage test in order to determine issues and then effectively seal or repair the ducts to have all the valuable cool air flow to where it is required.
The Question of When to Call a Professional Aircond Technician
Although cleaning a filter is a common thing to everyone, the majority of other repairs need professional skills. You must call a professional in case:
- You think there is a leak of refrigerant.
- The fans or compressor are not on.
- The coils are getting ice on them.
- You can hear some strange grinding, screeching or buzzing.
- You have already removed the easy solutions and your aircond is still not cooling.
Keep a minor issue a minor and cheap repair. AircondCare team is skilled and trustworthy in aircond service all over Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Our trained technologists are able to diagnose the cause of your cooling issues very fast and get your comfort track on course again.
Contact us now and get a quote fast and free and same day service.
FAQ: Aircond Not Cooling
Q: What frequency would you recommend me to clean my AC filter to avoid cooling problems?
We suggest that you wash your reusable filter once or twice after every 1-2 months, and particularly when you live in dusty regions of KL. The greatest cause of weak cooling is a plugged filter.
Q: My AC is on yet it is blowing hot air.
This usually means that there is something serious such as a leakage of refrigerant or the compressor is not working. The easiest way is to switch off the unit and ensure that a professional helps you by calling in a technician at once to avoid additional damages.
Q: Is it possible to simply fill the gas in case it is low?
No. Refrigerant can be used safely only with the help of a licensed technician. Low gas implies that there is a leak to be fixed at first. To make it just a notch higher is an illegal and temporary solution.
Q: Ice is accumulating around my indoor air conditioner, why?
Ice is created because of constrained airflow (because of a contaminated filter) or because of insufficient refrigerant. Switch off the AC and allow ice to melt, filter check and call service when the problem persists.
Q: What is the expected life of an AC unit?
A well-maintained unit of good quality has a life span of 8-12 years. In the case where your older AC requires constant and expensive repairs, you may want to think of a new and more energy efficient inverter installation.
Q: My air conditioner cools my bedroom but not my living room. Why?
That is usually an indication of a problem in the distribution of air, which may be due to blocked or leaky air ducts. This is subject to a professional examination to identify and repair.
Q: Do you provide emergency service in repairing your ACs?
Yes! We offer urgent breakdown aircond repair service to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor within one day. Get in touch with us right away.
