From time to time, air conditioner units need maintenance. Air conditioner units contain a number of parts that work together to create the cool air that keeps your room at a comfortable temperature. While large central air units require a licensed technician to repair, window-mounted units are more tolerant of a do-it-yourselfer. Troubleshooting why the fan isn’t working can help you keep your room temperature maintained and your wallet intact. Worn Out Belt The fan in an air conditioner unit is usually attached to a motor that directly turns the fan, but sometimes the interior workings include a belt that connects the fan and the motor. If you have a unit with a belt, check to see if the belt has worn out, frayed or slipped out of place, making it impossible for the fan to turn properly. Order a replacement belt from the manufacturer and replace the belt to fix the problem. Power to the Unit While it might be the most obvious solution, check to ensure that the unit is plugged into the wall.

If the connection has come loose and the power won’t turn on, your fan won’t turn. Another power problem might be a tripped switch on the circuit that supplies power to the unit. how much does an ac window unit costIf the plug is connected and the circuit is working, unplug the unit and check the internal wiring that connects the fan motor to the circuit board. how to change ac unit filterEnsure that all connectors are tightly plugged in, plug the unit back in and try it again. outside ac unit priceCircuit Board The circuit board, or control board, is what directs the fan to turn and the coolant to circulate. It also controls any timers your unit might have. Once you've verified that power is going to the unit, and the air conditioner responds when you push other buttons, you know that the problem rests somewhere in the control board or the thermostat.

These parts are replaceable, but the wiring is so complex and the part so expensive that the better option is to replace the unit if it's no longer covered by warranty. Blockage A blockage in the unit could keep the fan from working. While filters keep most dust and debris out, damage to the exterior of the unit might expose its insides to outside elements through the window and debris might become lodged in the unit. Check the interior of the unit to make sure nothing is blocking the fan from turning. Remove any blockage to restore function. Condensation Pump Not all air conditioner units have condensation pumps, but the ones that do can quit working. If the pump fills up, a trigger switch flips on inside the unit that stops the fan (and sometimes the whole unit, depending on the kill switch) from functioning until the reservoir is emptied and repaired. Normally they function on their own, but if it isn’t emptying on its own, replace or repair the pump so it dispenses condensation properly.

How do you troubleshoot problems with a GE air conditioner? To troubleshoot a GE air conditioner, you must first identify the specific problem. Common problems with GE air conditioners include poor air flow, smoke on air vents and failure to cool properly. Other problems include loud noises, freezing coils and water leakage. What are some of the highly-rated air conditioner brands? What stores carry GE air conditioners? How do you fix an air conditioner drainage problem? If the air in the conditioner is not flowing freely, the air filter might be dirty or clogged. Cleaning the air filter regularly helps to solve this problem. Smoke comes out of the air vents when cold dry air comes into direct contact with warmer moist air near the air conditioner. Running the fan at higher speed helps to cool the room air. A window unit may fail to cool if the front vents are blocked, or when the air filter is dirty. Removing blinds, curtains and furniture around the unit and cleaning the air filter aids in eliminating this problem.

A worn out compressor causes a GE air conditioner to produce unusually loud noises, and replacing the compressor rectifies this. Freezing coils are caused by a faulty thermostat or an overrunning fan. To solve this problem, set the thermostat at a higher speed and the fan speed at a lower setting. Water leakage in the conditioner occurs when the through wall is leaning too far forward. Adjusting the position of the air conditioner to make it lean slightly back helps to rectify this. How do you diagnose air-conditioner problems? Checking the air conditioner's power supply, fan, thermostat and filters are the usual steps for diagnosing a problem with the unit. Can you recharge a window air conditioner? If a window air conditioner no longer provides chilled air, the problem is not one that can be fixed with simple do-it-yourself methods. How can a room air conditioner be repaired? To repair a room air conditioner, diagnose the problem and likely cause, whether it's not running or just not cooling.

If the air conditioner is not runnin... What makes an air conditioner blower not come on? An air conditioner blower that won't come on is normally caused by a problem with the thermostat, breakers, micro-switches or the blower motor itself. At what temperature do people generally turn on the heat? Where can you purchase freestanding wood stoves? Is it OK to continuously run your furnace fan? What are some problems with RV slide-outs? What are some common treadmill problems? How can you maintain an outside AC unit?Window air conditioners and winter: how do they mix? May 22, 2007   Subscribe I'm probably going to need to leave my air conditioner in the window during the '07-'08 winter, and I have a few questions about air conditioners and winter. I live in a studio in Chicago's north Uptown. I bought my first air conditioner last summer, a Frigidaire FAC109P1A. When the weather got colder last winter, my building's superintendent was nice enough to take it down and store it in his own storage unit.

However, since the weather's getting warmer, he's putting it back up this Thursday, and he's indicated that unfortunately he won't be able to store it again this coming fall. I've bought an air conditioner heavy duty support bracket. Although we won't be able to screw the support to the window frame itself -- the frame isn't deep enough -- the superintendent is going to screw it to a piece of wood that he'll then wedge underneath the air conditioner. This will hopefully correct one sort-of-a-flaw from last year: the air conditioner wasn't quite flush with the window frame. Last summer, the outside part of the air conditioner was at a slight angle tilted toward the ground, which meant that inside, the bottom part of the A/C stuck out from the window a little bit on a diagonal towards the floor. (I'm not sure if that's clear, visually. Let me know if it's not.) The windows are perhaps only a year or two old, and very good. With them both closed, I barely had to open the radiator last winter.

Additionally, I bought some spongy weather seal material to put around the air conditioner. I am nervous about leaving the air conditioner in the window over next winter, thanks to the extremes of Chicago winters. I have this vision of a big ol' nasty Chicago blizzard rolling into town one morning or afternoon while I'm at work, or while I'm visiting family for Christmas, and then coming home to find the apartment freezing and my cat dead of hypothermia. I realize that could well be an irrational concern, but if so the irrationality stems from not understanding how this works. I do know that many people do leave their air conditioners up and in the window during the winter, so obviously, that sort of thing doesn't usually happen ... but I don't understand why it doesn't happen. (1) How does the way air conditioners are built prevent winter cold from entering in the apartment? Since air conditioners in the summer run outside air over freon and then vent the chilled air into the inside, what structurally prevents that outside-to-inside airflow from happening come winter?

(2) The accordion material that expands to fill the window: is that material usually strong/insulated enough to prevent outside snow, wind, and temperatures from entering the apartment? It seems like you have to have a window plus a storm window in place to stop wintry elements from coming in; how can that accordion material do the job? Also, I'm wondering if people have opinions on, or experience with: (3) Evidently air conditioner covers exist (such as this quilted one), and sometimes people even use garbage bags. There seems to be some debate as to whether or not it's a good idea or not: opponents say it causes condensation problems inside the unit that can damage your unit's internals; proponents seem to believe it prevents the cold from damaging your equipment. Are they good or bad, do they make a temperature difference in the apartment, and with the ones for the outside, how the heck do you apply them? Lean out the neighboring window? I'm on a first floor apartment (not ground, but one up) -- would I grab a ladder?

(4) One of the reasons I'm leaving it in the window is because I have nowhere to store it. I have a small-to-middlin' studio; I don't foresee moving into a one-bedroom anytime soon. I think if I had to store it inside the apartment, I'd buy a really big-ass plastic container from the Container Store and then maybe drape a blanket over the container or something so it could serve as a table. But any other creative ideas for air conditioner storage in a tight space? External storage is exorbitant in the city, and my landlord doesn't offer extra storage space to building residents (not to mention someone might run off with it). (5) This air conditioner weighs more than I'm able to lift. I don't know the upper boundary of my lifting ability, but I know that I can carry 50 pounds (the weight of a box full of reams of paper) and walk 30-50 feet with it, and that that feels near my maximum. (Weight training isn't the worst of ideas, I know, but that's for another time.) I've seen stronger men than I struggle with it (probably also due to its width and breadth).