An air conditioner that stops cooling always seems to do it on the hottest day of the year. Plenty of faults have a five-minute fix, and plenty do not. This guide covers the checks anyone can do safely, and the signs that mean you should stop and call.
Safety first
The eight checks
- 1Mode and temperature. Make sure it is in cool mode and set well below the room temperature. Remotes get knocked into fan or dry mode more often than you would think.
- 2Remote batteries. A flat remote looks exactly like a dead unit. Swap the batteries before assuming the worst.
- 3Power at the unit. Check the isolator next to the outdoor unit and the breaker at the board are both on. If a breaker is off, do not keep resetting it. See the next section.
- 4Filters. Clogged filters choke the airflow, cut the cooling and can make the indoor coil freeze. Slide them out, rinse in lukewarm water, let them dry and refit them. Do this monthly in summer.
- 5Outdoor unit airflow. The outdoor unit needs clear space. Leaves, stacked boxes, a growing bush or a build-up of coastal salt grime on the fins all reduce performance.
- 6Ice on the indoor unit or pipes. Switch it off and run the fan only for about an hour to melt it. Ice usually means poor airflow or low gas, so book a service if it comes back.
- 7Water leaking indoors. Often a blocked condensate drain, which can be a quick clean. If it keeps returning, the unit may not be level or the drain may be damaged.
- 8Weak cooling that has crept in. If it runs but only blows mildly cool air, gas may be low. Gas does not get used up, so low gas means a leak. Topping up without finding the leak just wastes money.
When it is an electrical fault
A surprising number of air conditioner problems are not the unit at all. These signs point to the circuit:
- The breaker trips just as the compressor starts. This is classic for an undersized or shared circuit.
- It trips on rainy or humid days. Moisture in the outdoor connections or isolator can leak current to earth, and the earth leakage device is doing its job by cutting the power.
- Lights dim when the unit starts. The circuit or the supply cable is struggling.
- A hot plug, a hot isolator, or discolouration on either. That is overheating and needs attention today.
- A tingle when you touch the unit or its pipework. Switch it off and keep clear.
Resetting a tripping breaker again and again is how a small fault becomes a fire. A trip is the safety system telling you something is wrong. It should be traced, not bypassed.
What a callout involves
We test the circuit, the isolator and the earth leakage protection, then check the unit itself. You get a plain answer on whether the problem is electrical or in the refrigeration side, and a fixed quote before we repair anything. See our fault finding and repairs and air conditioning services, or request a free quote.
If you are still deciding whether to install air conditioning, start with is air conditioning worth it in Mossel Bay.
Common questions
Why does my air conditioner trip the breaker only when it rains?+
Moisture getting into the outdoor unit's electrical connections or the isolator can leak current to earth, which an earth leakage device is designed to catch. The safety device is working correctly and the cause needs tracing, not bypassing.
How often should I clean the filters?+
Monthly in heavy-use months, and any time you notice reduced airflow. Clean filters are the cheapest way to keep an air conditioner efficient.
Can I top up the gas myself?+
No. Refrigerant needs certified equipment and handling, and a unit that needs topping up has a leak that has to be found first.
