The condenser unit resides in the outdoor cabinet of your aircon unit. The aircon condenser parts consist of the condenser coils and condenser fan. The main job of the condenser unit is to release the heat from the refrigerant after it’s pressurized in the compressor. The condenser is the middle part of the refrigerant cycle, and when there are problems with the condenser, it can cause system-wide imbalances. In such cases, it is advisable to engage the help of a professional AC installer to fix those issues instead of doing it on your own.
What are the 3 common condenser problems we often encounter?
An aircon issue with the condenser is that it is located outside, and therefore at the mercy of the elements. Although designed to withstand a great deal of punishment, condensers can still suffer from certain aircon issues due to debris like rocks, gravel, leaves, sticks, and even tree branches getting through the grill and causing injury to the fan.
The fan is a precision instrument that is carefully balanced, and should it receive damage that bends its blades, it will start to strike the casing. This will not only lead to a broken fan, but it will also damage other parts of the condenser. Fan troubles always require a professional aircon services company for repairs.
Aircon issues regarding the compressor are among the most serious ones for an aircon unit. If the compressor burns out from too much stress and lack of repair work, it usually means the entire aircon unit needs replacement.
A compressor can begin to “hard start” or stutter as it comes on, then turn off early because of electrical malfunctions, a failing motor, bad capacitors, or mechanical stress. When this happens, call for a professional aircon servicing company to investigate right away.
The refrigerant that runs through an aircon unit must remain at the same level of charge at all times. The only way the charge will drop is through leaking occurring, which can sometimes happen in the connections to the compressor or from the compressor itself.
If you notice ice appearing anywhere on the system, it may mean a loss of refrigerant, and this needs skilled repair done by a professional aircon servicing company to work right away.
What are the main parts of your Aircon Condenser that can affect its efficiency?
The condenser coil is what dispels heat into the air after the aircon unit collects this excess heat from inside your house. A number of issues can arise with the condenser coil that may hinder efficient operation, such as:
Bent or flattened fins
Coolant leak from the coil pipes
Fins clogged with dust or lint from nearby dryer exhaust
Nearby bushes or weeds preventing rapid flow of air over fins
Fortunately, most of these aircon issues can be resolved with quick cleaning or combing of the fins or some weed whacking, just be careful not to get too close to the fins with the weed whacker. A leak may mean that you need a new condenser coil or even a new aircon unit, though.
2) Fan Blades
Some potential aircon issues with fan blades include loose fan blades, cracked or broken-off blades, or bent-up blades that can’t drive air as they should. Because the fan is responsible for providing continuous airflow to the aircon unit, these aircon issues can lead to overheating and an overworked system as well as reduced efficiency.
So in a best-case scenario with a fan issue, you’re just going to have slightly higher aircon bills until the fan gets fixed. But with severe fan issues or a fan problem that doesn’t get fixed or that’s worsened by another issue, you could end up having to complete major aircon repair work as well.
An aircon unit typically has two types of capacitors: the start capacitor and the run capacitor, sometimes these are combined in what’s known as a dual capacitor. If the start capacitor fails, the associated motor, whether that’s the fan motor or the compressor motor, simply won’t be able to start. It’s the run capacitor that you have to worry about if you have efficiency problems.
The run capacitor is designed to help the motor stay efficient while running and not have to work as hard. So if the run capacitor goes out, the motor may still start but may then run very hot and overheat. Or the motor will work harder than usual, decreasing its life expectancy and use more electricity than it was designed to. Installing the wrong size of the capacitor can have similar effects.
If you want to decrease the efficiency of your aircon unit, just let the evaporator coil get dirty and freeze up. If you notice higher energy bills or an aircon unit that constantly runs, this could easily be the reason why.
The evaporator coil should be cleaned on a regular basis, but this isn’t a DIY job, since you’ll need to have a professional aircon servicing company to do a maintenance visit. This is partly because getting to the evaporator coil is much more difficult than getting to the condenser coil. But keeping your air filters clean and changing them often can also help by reducing the amount of dirt that gets to the coil.
In addition, here some Aircon Condenser issues that needs troubleshooting:
– Valve Problems
About 338Aircon.SG
It’s always a good time to talk about the common issues that aircon units have. This way, you’ll be able to spot if there are problems with your unit or not and prepare for its replacement accordingly. If you require our aircon servicing services, Whatsapp us at +65 9222 4141 for a fast and transparent quote.
338 Aircon Servicing Singapore provides an extensive range of AircINSTAon Services including Aircon Servicing, Aircon Repairs, Aircon Installation of the best aircon brands, Chemical Overhaul, Gas Top-up, Aircon Leaking Water, and Aircon Not Cold Fix, and more. We have a team of professional technicians who are equipped with vast knowledge and experience in the Aircon industry.
We have over 15 years of experience in dealing with aircon works and have completed thousands of aircon works for both residential (Landed, Condo, and HDB) and commercial. We are a highly recommended Aircon Company in Singapore, with many delighted customers and reviews over the years on Google and Facebook.
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