Ductless air conditioners focus on a particular room that you intend to cool. On the other hand, multi-zone units can be effective for 2 to 6 rooms in your villa or apartment. However, you might come across malfunctioning air conditioning from time to time. An on-time repair and maintenance regime can keep your air conditioner from risks.
Therefore, your ductless air conditioner won’t face any serious damage issues. On the other hand, you can keep repair costs low. Not to mention, you can keep your family safe too from unwanted electrical accidents.
What are the signs that indicate that your ductless AC needs a repair? Let’s find out.
A Drop-Off in AC’s Efficiency
Cooling output and its extent can tell you whether your air conditioner is functioning properly or not. You might realise that your surrounding air isn’t as cool as it should be or used to be. Your air conditioner might require a repair or an enhancement in its cooling mechanics.
After all, why would you pay for an appliance to run only and not cool effectively? Clogged air filters, low refrigerant levels, or a faulty air compressor can trigger a diminished airflow. Additionally, issues with a fan motor are not out of the question.
However, if you find the fan running but the surrounding air isn’t cool enough, it’s probably a leak in the refrigerant line. Make sure that you get the air conditioner checked by experienced AC technicians.
Ice Formation on Evaporator Coil
A refrigerant leak can cause an ice build-up on the evaporator coil. Due to foreign contaminants, the pipes bearing the refrigerant can be corroded. Thus, it can make the air conditioner work harder, and the evaporator coil becomes too cold. The condensing water or vapour transforms into ice, and you can experience ice build-up on the evaporator coil.
Apart from a refrigerant leak, a broken thermostat, dirty air filter, or a defective fan can result in a similar issue. However, if the ice build-up turns too heavy, it can damage the cooling coil. Consequently, you might have to replace the cooling coil, which will cost you a fortune. Therefore, you have to hire an AC technician if you notice ice forming on the refrigerant line to prevent the system from further damage.
Unusual Noises from the Ductless AC Unit
A defective aircon unit can make strange noises when struggling with inconveniences. You might notice screeching, grinding, or buzzing sounds from your air conditioner’s indoor unit.
On the other hand, you might hear clicking noises more often if your air conditioner has encountered a problem. Whatever strange noise your air conditioner hears, make sure you turn off the appliance. Hire an experienced AC technician to check what’s wrong with the appliance.
Numerous reasons can contribute to such noises. For example, it can be a component that might require lubrication, or it can be a single loose belt. Additionally, blowers or fans can trigger the buzzing or grinding noise.
However, alert if you can hear a bubbling or hissing sound; it mostly indicates a refrigerant leak. In other words, your air conditioner requires immediate repair when it starts making unusual noises.
Soaring Electric Bills
Generally, a well-maintained ductless air conditioner has average longevity of 12 to 16 years. Any air conditioner loses its efficiency gradually over the years. Moreover, an older AC unit is supposed to consume more electricity than a newer one.
Even if your ductless, mini-split air conditioner is not too old, you can witness a spike in your electricity bill, and something is wrong. It can be a clogged, dirty air filter that can’t provide fresh and cold air. As a result, the thermostat will interpret that the air conditioner has to run more cooling cycles to bring down the temperature to the desired value.
Now, the air conditioner has to push harder, and it will automatically increase your electricity bill. Besides this, faulty equipment inside your air conditioner can trigger the same consequence. Hence, you must opt for an instant AC repair if you notice an unexpected and inexplicable hike in your electricity bill.
You can also notice a steady increase in your electricity bill instead of a huge surge at once – both are alarming for your air conditioner.
Indoor Feels too Humid
Can you spot water droplets on your window glass? Or, is water dripping from the ductless, mini-split air conditioning unit? A leakage in the drainage pipe can result in a humid environment inside your room. Humid surroundings and leaks clearly show that your air conditioner needs repair attention.
However, a leak might release water and toxic refrigerant your appliance uses. The chemical refrigerant possesses health hazards, which can trigger nausea, vomiting, etc., if exposed to it for an extended period.
Hence, you have to avail refrigerant leakage repair service as soon as possible. Apart from a refrigerant leakage, broken or damaged drain pipes can leak condensing water instead of draining it to the drain pan. The leaking water can seep into your walls and your basement if not repaired on time.
Leaking water can make your appliance rust and indulge in the growth of moulds. All these things can weaken your home’s construction to a great extent. Hence, you must hire an AC technician if you notice excessive moisture or leaking water from your air conditioner.
Issues Associated with Temperature Accuracy
Do you notice an off-beat performance in temperature accuracy on your air conditioner? If you feel like your surroundings’ temperature is hotter than the set temperature, then the appliance might have an issue.
You can notice a temperature fluctuation of 3 to 5 degrees if your thermostat is troubling you. As a quick solution, you can check your thermostat settings and set its fan to “On” from “Auto”.
If the issue seems to be never-ending or you feel warmer, you should consider a repair service for your aircon unit. Only experts can tell what’s wrong with your thermostat or relevant components. Additionally, the AC technician can repair the glitch and revive the functionality of temperature control and accuracy.
Anything Else?
As a resident or business owner, you might experience a ghastly or pungent smell from your ductless air conditioner. This is another indicator that your AC requires care and attention. You can even smell a burning odour if there’s any kind of circuit failure or short-circuit, or the air filters might be too dirty.
Whatever the reason is, this instance simply makes your surrounding air unfit for breathing. You might experience respiratory problems if exposed to such airflow for a long period. Therefore, contact a professional, reputed, and experienced team of AC technicians if you notice any of the signs mentioned above. Otherwise, issues will escalate, and the repair cost will continue.
