Not Cooling
If your air conditioner is operating but it doesn't seem to be cooling there are various symptoms.
| Issue | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Filter Blocked | Clean or replace the return air filter. |
| Too many zones at once | Most ducted systems are zoned and designed to run a maximum number of areas. Turn off any unnecessary zones that are unoccupied. |
| Low Refrigerant | Over time refrigerant can slowly leak due to age or incorrect installation. If possible the leak needs to be repaired and refrigerant added by a technician. |
| Faulty Part | There may be a fault with a part such as an electronic control board, fan motor or even the compressor. This will need to be diagnosed by a technician. |
| Blows hot air when turned on | Because in a typical duct installation the ducwork is normally situated in a warm roof space. This warm air is expelled through the outlets when the fan turns on. This is normal operation and should only last 1 to 2 minutes at best. |
Not Heating
First check all the not cooling issues as these are interchangable.
| Issue | Remedy |
|---|---|
| "Standby" on control panel | When your unit is put into heating mode the air conditioner has to warm up the coils. This is normal operation and lasts for around 5 to 10 minutes which then unit will begin normal heating. Do not turn off the unit while it is in standby as this will just extend the process. |
| "Defrost" or "Standby" on control panel | In a heat pump system during heating the outdoor coil can reach exceptionally low temperatures. Sometimes frost can accumulate on the coil. Periodically the machine must go into "defrost" to remove this frost from the coil. This process usually lasts around 5 to 10 minutes when the machine will return to normal operation. Do not attempt to turn the machine off and on again trying to bypass this process as it will just reset and start "defrost" again. |
| Blows cold air when turned on | As the duct in your ceiling is situated in the ambient air. When the unit is turned on the indoor fan will expell this unconditioned air out through the outlets. This is normal operation and should only last 1 to 2 minutes. |
No Power
If your control panel has no display on the LCD screen or your unit will not turn on at all please check the following.
Check that the circuit breaker in your meter box for the air conditioning unit is ON. If it has tripped turn the circuit breaker back on. If the circuit breaker continues to trip there is a power issue and needs to be checked by a technician.
Check that the isolating switch for the unit (usually located on the wall next to the outdoor unit) is switched ON. If there is an issue with the isolating switch, it's loose or difficult to move, it will need to be checked and replaced by an electrician.
No Airflow
If you are not getting any air in certain areas of your home there could be a few reasons.
The most common cause would be a faulty motor damper. This is a valve that turns on or off the airflow. Depending on the type of motor damper this would need to be removed and replaced.
If you have had trades working recently in your ceiling space they may have dislodged, split or pulled a duct from a collar and failed to restore it.
Leaking Water
Depending on the operation of the air conditioning unit it generates condensation as a result of the refrigeration cycle. This water condensation is removed from either the indoor unit during cooling or from the outdoor unit during heating.
In heating mode condensation is generated at the outdoor unit coil which is drained from underneath the outdoor unit. This is nothing to be concerned with as this is normal operation.
A condensate drain is installed to drain water away from the indoor unit during cooling operation, which is normally run to a roof gutter. If this drain becomes blocked, or is broken or dislodged then this water can end up dripping inside your ceiling space and should be attended to before operating the system in cooling.