During the summer, split air conditioners undergo heavy use. Towards the end of the season, you may notice unusual behaviours with the outdoor unit, especially if you hadn't carried out pre-season servicing. Unfortunately, these faults can affect the unit's performance and impact its cooling capabilities. If you don't act fast, you may end up with no cool air. Thus, watch out for the following signs of late-season outdoor unit faults.
Inadequate cooling
The compressor circulates the refrigerant through the coils of the indoor and outdoor units. As the fluid circulates the system, it draws heat from the indoor air and releases it outside. If your home is not cooling adequately, your outdoor unit could be having low refrigerant. With inadequate refrigerant to draw hot air from the house, there will be insufficient cooling. You have to repair the leak on the refrigerant lines and recharge the fluid.
Other causes of inadequate cooling are having a blocked condenser or dirty condenser evaporator coils. The condenser and evaporator coils draw the hot air from the refrigerant. If they are clogged or dirty, they won't be able to cool the refrigerant adequately. As a result, the unit won't be able to cool the air properly. You need to resolve the blockage to restore the AC's performance.
Tripping breakers
Does your circuit breaker trip every time you switch on the AC? Tripping breakers indicate a fault with the compressor. Usually, this problem occurs when the compressor is overheating. If your unit is undersized, the compressor may be working too hard to deliver cold air into the home. This causes it to overheat, and it can damage the electrical components. The breakers cut off the power to prevent an electrical hazard.
If you've placed the outdoor unit near a dusty area, the condenser coils may clog, restricting airflow to the system. This problem can also cause compressor overheating. When left unresolved, overheating can cause compressor failure. Therefore, do not reset the breakers as you could cause further damage to your unit.
Faulty fan motor
The outdoor unit has a fan that keeps the condenser cool, so it can draw heat from the refrigerant. If the fan motor is faulty, the component won't run, even when you turn on the AC. Other signs of a defective fan motor include:
- Frozen condenser coils
- Rattling noise in the condenser unit
- Tripping breakers due to an overheating motor
- Weak airflow in the home if the fan is turning slowly
All these signs present serious issues for your AC's outdoor unit. A faulty fan motor can ultimately lead to condenser failure, which means the AC may stop working too.
After heavy use during the summer, your split air conditioning unit may begin to exhibit these signs towards the end of the season. Contact an AC contractor for professional split-system repairs!
Hello! My name is Jake. I am the kind of guy who finds out about a subject and then who must learn everything he can about it. A subject I have focused on in recent times is HVAC. This might seem a little strange. However, my interest was sparked when an HVAC contractor visited my home to install a new air con system. He was really friendly and he took the time to answer my questions. Since then, I have been doing everything I can to learn about HVAC. I hope you enjoy reading what I have written on my blog.