If you’ve ever spent a hot summer in a home plagued with air conditioner problems, you know that it’s a terrible experience you don’t want to experience again. But maybe you were unsure how to get it repaired.
So who services portable air conditioners? HVAC repair technicians are experts with expert knowledge of the technology and design of air purification, air conditioning, and heating systems. Their main role is to repair air conditioners of all types and to help people get the most value out of their air purifiers, air conditioners, and heating units.
Almost all the common causes of portable air conditioner issues can be easily prevented with regular maintenance. Have an HVAC expert come in to inspect and tune up your portable air condition. It can be relatively inexpensive, and you will save yourself from having to make that emergency call when your portable AC stops working on the hottest day of the year.
Top causes of portable air conditioner problems
Low refrigerant due to leakage
The refrigerant is what your portable air conditioner uses to remove the air’s heat and humidity in your home or business. You can end up with not enough refrigerant to effectively cool the air if your portable air conditioner develops leaks in the refrigerant lines. Replacing the refrigerant is not enough to fix this problem correctly — you will probably need the help of a professional HVAC repair technician to find the leaks and repair the holes in the lines.
Frozen evaporator coils
Your portable air conditioner’s evaporator coil is responsible for absorbing the air’s heat like a sponge and is filled with refrigerant. It may sound counterintuitive, but for these evaporator coils to work properly, they need warm air circulating around them. When something is wrong with the airflow, the evaporator coil gets too cold. When this happens, you will get little or warm air coming from your air conditioning supply registers.
Dirty condenser coils
It’s your unit’s condenser coils’ function to get rid of the heat removed from your space by expelling it outside the building. The condenser coil will not work properly if it gets covered with a layer of dirt and grime. This is a very common problem and when it happens, heat transfer is blocked, and your air condition unit has to work harder to do its job. This can lead to increased wear on the parts, or even system failure. Make sure to get this checked out by an HVAC specialist before its too late.
Fan problems
If your portable air conditioner’s fans are not working properly due to a faulty motor, lack of lubrication, worn belts, or too much dirt and debris, you may end up with poor airflow and air conditioner problems. If you neglect the problem, it can lead to compressor failure, often a death sentence for your portable air conditioner.
Leaking ducts
The ductwork carries the cooled air from the air conditioner throughout your space. However, if the ducts have breaks or holes, that cooled air winds up where it’s not doing anybody any good. Also, this problem causes your air conditioner to work harder and drive up your energy bills.
Thermostat problems
If your portable air conditioner’s thermostat is incorrectly calibrated, which means your air conditioner is not getting the right instructions from the control system. This problem can be easily fixed by recalibrating your thermostats. If you have programmable thermostats, they can be tricky to program and the settings may be incorrect. If you still have the manual, check the instructions to ensure your thermostat’s settings are correct.
Clogged drains
All the moisture that’s removed from the air by your air conditioner must go somewhere, and it’s mostly removed from the space through a drain line. If the line or drain gets clogged, the water can back up and damage your air conditioner. You can also wind up with water leaks that damage your walls and furnishings. If you do not see it right away, you will eventually have mold growth. an HVAC specialist will let you know if the drain line is clogged and will help unclog it.
