AirCon servicing
AirCon servicing
Do aircon units need regular servicing if they haven't been used for 18 months?
-
handdrummer
- Addict
- Posts: 5389
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:58 am
-
Trevtherev
- Amateur
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 7:40 pm
Re: AirCon servicing
Good Advice from Handdrummer
My other Essexman advice would be to just quickly check the following, in the case of a split level air-conditioning system. In the split level system the outside unit (sorry you might need a step ladder if mounted under the roof eves), is the condenser assembly that hoses the big fan. With the system switched on and running with your normal settings, check the following;
a) On the outside condenser unit you should see two copper pipes and unions coming out the side or edge. These pipes contain the refrigerant that is pumped to and from the evaporator unit normally on the wall, or could be ceiling mounted in the subject room. If you look and touch these pipes on the condenser unit, the larger of the pipes should feel warn and be dry, whereas the smaller pipe should be very cold and dependant upon the prevailing humidity this could be covered in a light frost or dew like coating. Is the large pipe warm and the small pipe cold?
b) Check the air being expelled by the condenser fan. Is this air warm?
c) Check the water flow from the evaporator drain, this is normally a small plastic pipe that comes out of the building and is routed down low, to either drain this water onto the ground or to a convenient drain. Is there a flow of water from this pipe?
If the answers to a), b) and c) above is yes, then your air conditioner is probably doing its job.
If the answer to these same questions is No, but the air-condition seems to be operating with evaporator and condenser unit fans operating. Then try the test again after a few minutes, but after you have first selected a lower room temperature setting.
If after the above tweak and re-test, you are still coming up with No results, but the evaporator and condenser fans are running and there are no other warning lights on or display messages/codes. It could be the refrigerant content is low in the system and it needs re gassing.
Sadly, if the test results are still No and there are warning lights or failure codes on displays then there could be a problem that will need a technician to investigate. Recommend to search this forum for recommended service people.
My final tip, and this is applicable to the older type of air-conditioners (not inverter type) units. This would be to check if the evaporator and condenser fans are running. Sometimes when these do not start up and run, along with the compressor buried inside the condenser units, the fix is low cost and is just the replacement of a failed capacitor. This happened to me on many occasions with the original units that were installed in my house.
Hope this helps.
My other Essexman advice would be to just quickly check the following, in the case of a split level air-conditioning system. In the split level system the outside unit (sorry you might need a step ladder if mounted under the roof eves), is the condenser assembly that hoses the big fan. With the system switched on and running with your normal settings, check the following;
a) On the outside condenser unit you should see two copper pipes and unions coming out the side or edge. These pipes contain the refrigerant that is pumped to and from the evaporator unit normally on the wall, or could be ceiling mounted in the subject room. If you look and touch these pipes on the condenser unit, the larger of the pipes should feel warn and be dry, whereas the smaller pipe should be very cold and dependant upon the prevailing humidity this could be covered in a light frost or dew like coating. Is the large pipe warm and the small pipe cold?
b) Check the air being expelled by the condenser fan. Is this air warm?
c) Check the water flow from the evaporator drain, this is normally a small plastic pipe that comes out of the building and is routed down low, to either drain this water onto the ground or to a convenient drain. Is there a flow of water from this pipe?
If the answers to a), b) and c) above is yes, then your air conditioner is probably doing its job.
If the answer to these same questions is No, but the air-condition seems to be operating with evaporator and condenser unit fans operating. Then try the test again after a few minutes, but after you have first selected a lower room temperature setting.
If after the above tweak and re-test, you are still coming up with No results, but the evaporator and condenser fans are running and there are no other warning lights on or display messages/codes. It could be the refrigerant content is low in the system and it needs re gassing.
Sadly, if the test results are still No and there are warning lights or failure codes on displays then there could be a problem that will need a technician to investigate. Recommend to search this forum for recommended service people.
My final tip, and this is applicable to the older type of air-conditioners (not inverter type) units. This would be to check if the evaporator and condenser fans are running. Sometimes when these do not start up and run, along with the compressor buried inside the condenser units, the fix is low cost and is just the replacement of a failed capacitor. This happened to me on many occasions with the original units that were installed in my house.
Hope this helps.