Air conditioner is one of the basic necessities that every home owner has to install specially during hot summers. So if you have already installed one, that`s great and if you don`t then you should have before the actual hot summers start.
As there are many advantages of having an AC at your home, you should also be careful of any problem that it may have. Like if you have already installed a window air conditioner then you should also know some main problems and issues that can stop its proper efficient working. Mostly when your window air conditioner stops working the problem is quite minor and can easily be sort out at home without calling the professional. You just need to know some important and basic information about the window air conditioners to get rid of any small problem in the best possible way, without hiring professional assistance. So in case if your AC has stopped working and you are looking to call a repairman, you should check the air conditioner yourself for the following five problems and if any of these exists try to solve this yourself.
Things you need
- Rubber gloves
- Voltage tester
- Fuse wires
- Screw driver
- Duster
Basic Power Issues
First of all you need to check that the power cord is properly plugged in. It is seen that in some cases, the older or outdoor outlet`s plug is not placed tightly in its place where it should have been. If it was fixed correctly, then you should check the cord for any breakages or cuts that may be visible on its outer side. In case if you find any cut or breakage on the cord, you need to unplug it safely and take suitable measures of fixing this problem.
Another problem is may be with your window air conditioner`s button interface. It may be worn out and you cannot trust it either if it is in this condition. So now the option is to replace the button with a new one or purchase a universal air conditioner remote to operate your AC. If you find get to know that this is the main problem why your unit is not working then it means that your AC is not broken or damaged, it is just the case of no communication between you and your machine as your AC is not getting any instructions of what you want it to do.
Fuse Box
If window air conditioner is not turning on even after proper plug in and electric supply, then you should check its fuse box. Fuse is the main power source to your unit and if it is blown out your system will not turn on. You can deal with this issue and get it done by changing the fuse wire.
Once you replaced the fuse wire, you should run your window air conditioner again to see how it reacts. If it works normally, it’s great, but if fuse burns out another time then there is problem with power supply. You need to provide your air conditioner a dedicated 120 volt power supply. In case your unit is drawing power from the same circuit from where some other electrical appliances are also getting power, then it may blow the fuse again and again. So when you provide a dedicated power supply to your air conditioner, it will work smoothly and with minimum interruptions.
In most of the cases it is also seen that the power need of window air conditioner on different occasion trips the safety buttons so plugs are required to be reset to restore power. So when you are checking for fuse, you need to check this aspect too.
Circuit Breaker
In case if there is a circuit breaker, similar procedure needs to be followed. If your window air conditioner is not turned on, then first of all you should check that if circuit breaker is not tripped. If it was tripped off, then you just go start the machine again after resting the circuit breaker. If it again tripped off, then you should provide it 120 volt circuit on which your air conditioner should operate only.
Filters and Thermostat
If your power is plugged in properly and there is no issue with fuse and circuit breaker then you should check thermostat. If the temperature on your thermostat unit is high and it set to “heat” then it will not turn on. You should try to lowering down the thermostat and check if it works and make some difference or not. In some cases the thermostat also got stuck, but still appears normal, so you don`t see any worrying sign there. So if you are facing this issue, you need to make adjustments to resolve this issue.
If you have adjusted the thermostat again but it don`t make any improvement in your air conditioner cooling, then the issue may be with the air conditioner filter. If your filter gets dry because of dirt accretion, it will stall the unit because your thermostat won`t be able to work properly. This issue can easily be resolved by replacing or cleaning the exiting filter. Sometimes, the filter may also get jammed because of the accumulated debris. In case this has happened then your AC unit will not be able to operate because debris can freeze evaporator coil. So it’s important to check your AC thermostat if your AC is not working properly.
Blockage in Unit
At last you should look for any clog or blockage because of plant growth or debris in your air conditioner. It is important that any such thing must not present in your AC, because for a window air conditioner, it is necessary to circulate air, but if there is some obstruction like grass or some other things that block air circulation, it can damage the air conditioner capacitor and the worst case may be the blown up of air conditioner. So it is very important to clear your air conditioner from any kind of vegetation and debris.