4 Portable Air Conditioner Problems to Look out For

Nobody wants to deal with waiting for a repair man to come when you have air conditioner problems. On hot summer days, when you need cooling right now, it might be better to tackle the problems on your own if you know what to do. There are many types of air conditioners available on the market. Portable air conditioner problems are easier to solve because it is a self-contained unit. And it is possible to troubleshoot problems in your own portable air conditioner without the help of an expensive home visit from a professional. Some common problems which may arise in the use of portable air conditioners are mentioned below.

1. Air Conditioner Does Not Cool the Room

Portable air conditioners are normally used in order to provide supplementary cooling to a specific area like a small room or a cabin. It should not be classified with the same capacities of a window air conditioner. Read its manual and use your portable air conditioner inside the right square footage proportions. If your portable AC feels too weak, most probably the room is too big. Remember that portable air conditioners are not to be relied on as the sole means for cooling a big room such as your living room or master bedroom in the peak of summer. Also, try changing to a clean filter. Open your air conditioner and clean dirt and dust from the coils. Check to see if it has iced over. Wait to defrost and turn on again. If it is still stubbornly not working, its motor or compressor may be the problem. You must seek professional help.

2. Air Conditioner has Stopped Working

Whenever your AC stops working, it is easy to assume that it has short-circuited from overuse. Try turning it back on after a short cooling period and if it doesn’t work, there can be other problems involved. First, check to see if the timer is on. If it is, your AC might have stopped in obedience to its internal timer. Also, take note of the temperature of the room. If it is cool enough, it is possible your AC has stopped working because its temperature setting is at a higher temperature than the temperature in your room. Check your temperature setting and see if your AC doesn’t restart when your room temperature starts to rise again.

3. Air Conditioner Does Not Start

This can be a bad situation if it’s really hot outside. There can be a few reasons why the AC does not start. First, check the power cord to confirm it is properly plugged in. If so, use another electric appliance in the same electrical outlet to see if the outlet is working properly. There could also be damage to the AC power chord because of which the Air Conditioner is not starting.

4. Air Conditioner has Little Airflow

Check for water in your AC tank. If there is water, the problem might be a frozen coil or dirty filters. The frozen coil could signal a bigger problem in that a professional might need to come and adjust your refrigerant charge.