Central Air Conditioning Problems

The central air conditioner mainly comprises of two components: the condenser and the evaporator. The condenser unit consists of a condensing coil in which a high temperature and pressure refrigerant gas flows, and a fan to blow air across the coil. The refrigerant gas is cooled back to a liquid state with the help of this fan. Normally, the condenser unit is present in the outdoor portion of an air conditioning system and located outside the house. An evaporator coil, also known as cooling coil is a part of finned tubing into which liquid refrigerant is metered and evaporated from liquid to gas state. This refrigerant gas absorbs heat, cools the evaporator coil surface and further leads to cooling of the indoor air blown across the cooling coil. The coil is located inside the air handler unit and mounted either in the plenum or main duct junction above the furnace.

Central air conditioners are mainly connected to a home's forced-air distribution system. Hence, common motor, blower and ductwork which is used for heating can also be used to distribute cool air from the air conditioning system.

Central Air Conditioning Problems

Following are some common central air conditioning problems:

• Air conditioner doesn't turn on and sometimes stops working: If the air conditioner stops functioning, check the fuses and circuit breakers. Make sure the thermostat is adjusted to cool and below the current temperature. Be sure that the furnace power and condenser power switches are turned on.
• Compressor switches off: If the compressor switches off, it means the high pressure switch has tripped. Reset by pressing the button in the compressor's access panel.
• Air conditioner making noise: If the air conditioner is making a lot of noise, check whether the fan blades are clean or not. But before doing this, don't forget to turn off the conditioner.
• Frost build up on the evaporator coils: When the temperature is below 60 degrees and the air conditioner is on, frost may buildup on the evaporator coils. Immediately switch off the air conditioner when you see this happening.
• Refrigerant leakage: This may happen if the air conditioner is low on refrigerant or is not properly installed. Adding refrigerant may not solve the problem, hence it is advisable to call a trained technician to fix the problem.
• Air conditioner leakage: If the water is leaking inside the system, it means the system is not cooling, maybe due to the cooling coil getting frozen. This can also be caused due to a low refrigerant charge or insufficient airflow. To rectify this problem it is better to call a trained technician.
• Room temperature and thermostat temperature don't match: If the temperature set on the thermostat is more than the room temperature, the thermostat may not be calibrated properly or could be installed in a place where it's not able to sense the room air correctly.
• Air conditioner is on but the air isn't getting cooler: The reason behind this can be that the air conditioner may be dirty and needs to be cleaned. If the units are functioning properly but not cooling, then check the larger of the copper lines exiting the condenser. If it is hot, it could be compressor failure, and if it is cold, there can be air flow problems in it due to a clogged filter.
• Noisy air ducts: This problem may occur due to the metal heating and cooling ducts, which can be fixed by installing a flexible installation ductwork.

The central air conditioning system should be properly examined and adjusted before the beginning of every cooling season. By following specific maintenance procedures you can help your system operate at maximum efficiency.