The shift in seasons requires proper necessities to be in order, in order to get by these different seasons we need to have proper HVAC facilities. Enjoying the comforts of home is the top priority of homeowners, that being said, HVAC units would be one of the critical investments you could make for your house. These units are not shy of any kind of expense and in order to get a good unit, you should be prepared to pay the necessary costs.
In summers and winters, proper heating and cooling facilities are a necessity, but if they aren’t working properly then you could face a lot of problems. In the intense days of summer, you would have to experience immense heat, days would be dry and cases of suffocation could also appear. At this time, you would definitely need the comfort of your air conditioner, but what if that air conditioner isn’t working properly. It could not be blowing cold air, or it could be irregular. Maybe there are some problems in your conditioner which were slowly developing right under your radar and you failed to notice and now they have increased so much in number that they have rendered your unit useless.
This scenario applies to everything, if your air conditioner lacks the proper maintenance and servicing, it could persist tough problems for you to handle. You need to be on alert when your unit starts showing signs of failure, although if you take the necessary steps soon and without any kind of delay, your unit could be reinstated to its former glory.
Air conditioners can have a lot of problems, but before we actually dive into why these problems can occur, we should take a look into the main components of air conditioners, how they function and how can their errors affect the whole system.
There was once a time when air conditioners and refrigerators were considered to be a luxury, not many people could afford it and now almost everyone has it in their houses and office spaces.
The Main Components Of Air Conditioners
An air conditioner has many important components and today we would be taking a look at them in sheer detail. First of all is the refrigerant which is also technically known as Freon. Refrigerant is a very unique kind of liquid which persists in air conditioners, as the name suggests it is the main reason for all the cold air coming out of your unit. Another big function of the refrigerant is to carry on the hot air from your environment to outdoor via the compressor unit. It converts the liquids to vapors via the coils present in the system, this is done by adjusting the temperatures.
The refrigerant acts like a conduit inside an air conditioner, it travels inside your unit through the various components, it basically connects the indoor unit with the outdoor unit. The hot air from the indoor environment is absorbed into the system, its form is changed into gas and then the remains of the hot air is pushed outside via the outdoor unit. As this cycle of pushing hot air is done, the refrigerant turns back into its gaseous state, the blower fan operates over the evaporator coils and cold air is blown out of the air conditioner. This cycle operates over and over again as long as your air conditioner is active.
The next main component of your air conditioner would be the compressor. Function of the compressor is to raise the temperature of unit, and this is done by pressurizing the refrigerant. According to a very famous physics theory, if we compress a gas its temperature would increase as a result. Why do we do this? In order for the air conditioner to work properly, its temperature has to be higher than that of the outdoor environment. When this is done, the hot air produced inside the unit is flown outdoors.
Condenser coils are also the main components of your air conditioners, they are located inside the outdoor units. Their main function is to disperse the hot air outside which they have received from the refrigerant, they contain the hot refrigerant. Sometimes, they are also known as the opposite to evaporator coils because they contain the hot refrigerants whereas the evaporator coils contain the cold refrigerants. The refrigerant combined with the power of the condenser fan blows hot air to the outdoor unit, where after processing it is facilitated outside.
The next component is used to handle the refrigerant in its liquid yet hot state, expansion valves are used to facilitate the transfer of hot air. When the refrigerant is heated it cannot be transferred as it is, they have to be cooled and that is where these valves come in. The main function of these valves is to eliminate and remove the pressure from the refrigerant, after this the refrigerant changes its form to a gaseous state.
The last component of an air conditioner would be the evaporator coils, they contain the cold refrigerants. This is the main area where the hot air is actually processed, the absorption also takes place here. The valves which we discussed previously transfer the hot air to the copper tubes, when the hot air is passed on through them it is absorbed.
Now that we know what the main components of air conditioners are, the causes for failures can be discussed in detail.
Compressors Could Be Damaged
As we previously discussed, compressors are one of the main components of your air conditioners. Keeping them in top condition should be one of the priorities of home owners, as they facilitate the main air flow inside your unit. If your compressor is damaged or is having some problems then the air conditioner could have serious problems cooling down the air. Whenever a problem like this occurs, it is advised to call in the professional technicians and have them take a look at the system. Our suggestion would be to fully change the compressors of the air conditioners once they get damaged or faulty, as repairing them could lead to more escalated issues in the future.
Fans Of The Unit Could Be Faulty
The main fans which have the risk of getting damaged or faulty are the ones located in the evaporator coils of the air conditioner. Their main function is to blow out cold air from the coils, but if the fans themselves aren’t working properly then expect no air at all. The fans don’t function properly from a variety of reasons, there could be some kind of lubrication problems. Damaged belts or motor could also be the reason behind your fan not working properly. If you don’t take care of this problem soon then it could render your whole unit useless. If by any chance this even occurs, repairs could become difficult so we suggest you to always keep them in working order by regular maintenance and servicing.
Faulty Ductwork Could Be Blamed
Vents are the main passageways for air flow inside and outside your air conditioners, if they are at fault such as leaks or damages then the whole air conditioner could have problems. Ducts carry the cold air generated through your air conditioner all over your house, if they break down, expect a surge in your electricity bills. This condition, would make your units work a lot harder than usual, this increasing the energy requirement.
Low Refrigerants May Be The Issue
The first thing we discussed about the main components about the air conditioner was the refrigerant, it absorbs and transfers the hot air from your indoor environment. If the refrigerant faces any kind of problem, then there be no transition of air, in short no cooling whatsoever. Always consult with your professional technicians whenever problems like this tend to happen.
Check The Thermostat Settings
Thermostats play a very vital role when it comes to the functions of your air conditioner, they adjust the settings and make sure that the temperature is at par with the outdoor environment. Problems with their settings could occur, although our suggestion here would be to install the smart digital thermostat, they program the settings themselves and are very efficient. There is a certain calibration period, but after that you won’t face any kind of problems from your thermostat.
Conclusion
In order to know about the common causes of air conditioner failures we had to know about the main components of air conditioners and how they function. Enough knowledge about them, led to the understanding of the problems. Now that our guide has shown you how and why these problems persist, solving them won’t be a problem anymore.
