This step-by-step repair guide shows how to replace the electronic control board in a window air conditioner. The control board is the “brains” of the window air conditioner. It monitors sensor and activates components as needed to cool the room and maintain the set temperature. If the electronic control board is defective, replace it using a manufacturer-approved replacement part. Less than 45 min. Wear work gloves to protect your hands. Warning: Undertaking repairs to appliances can be hazardous. Use the proper tools and safety equipment noted in the guide and follow all instructions. Do not proceed until you are confident that you understand all of the steps and are capable of completing the repair. Some repairs should only be performed by a qualified technician. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet. Remove the screws that hold the accordion filler panels in the window frame. Push the accordion filler panels inward to clear the window frame.

With someone’s help, support the air conditioner and raise the window sash. Carefully lift the air conditioner out of the window and set it on a stable work surface. Grasp the sides of the front grill panel at the top and pull the front grill panel out and off of the air conditioner. Pull out the filter. Tip: Take this opportunity to clean the air filter if necessary.wall unit air conditioner units Remove the screws from the sides and bottom of the control panel.how much are 5 ton ac units Pull the control panel up and hold it above the air conditioner while you unplug the wire harness connection for the user interface control board.corner ac unit Set the control panel aside. Remove the screws from the sides of the front panel.

Pull the front panel off of the air conditioner and set it aside. Remove the screws from the exterior of the outer case. Remove the center stop for the accordion filler panels. Remove the hidden screw that’s under the center stop. Pull outward on the bottom of the outer case and remove the outer case from the air conditioner. Remove the screws from the electronic control board case. Pull the cover of the electronic control board case out to expose the electronic control board. Take a digital photograph or otherwise document the location and routing of wires connected to the electronic control board so you can connect the new one correctly. Pull all wires off of the electronic control board. Remove the mounting screws that hold the electronic control board in the case and pull out the electronic control board. Position the electronic control board in the case and reinstall the mounting screws. Using your photograph or other documentation as a guide, connect all the wires to the new electronic control board.

Make sure that wires are properly routed so that they’re not pinched or damaged during reassembly. Position the cover of the electronic control board case and reinstall the screws. Tip: Make sure that wires aren’t pinched when reinstalling the electronic control board cover. Position the outer case on the air conditioner and reinstall the screws, including the hidden screw in the center. Position the front panel on the air conditioner and reinstall the mounting screws on the sides of the front panel. Position the control panel above the air conditioner and plug the user interface control wire harness back in. Position the control panel on the front of the air conditioner and reinstall the mounting screws in the control panel. Insert the filter on the front of the air conditioner. Position the front grill panel on the front of the air conditioner and snap the front grill panel into place. Plug the air conditioner into the electrical outlet.

Need more motivation to check out your air conditioner and properly insulate it? In New York City, the costs of fuel lost through gaps around air conditioners is sometimes as much as the cost of the building's entire cooling bill. The main culprit in a recent report by the Urban Green Council is the window-mounted, usually self-installed air conditioner. When improperly seated, or lacking insulation around every potential opening, the average air conditioner leaves something akin to a fist-sized hole in your wall, letting both heating and cooling escape. The best move, the report suggests, is removing your air conditioner as soon as possible at the end of the hot season. If you're looking to start fresh with your own window-mount installation, Popular Mechanics' guide to proper mounting and insulation is a great place to start. How to Install a Window Air Conditioner [Popular Mechanics]Mold in window air conditioner units is a serious problem because every time you turn on your air conditioner, it will blow tiny, invisible mold spores into the room.

Mold spreads and grows easily and before you know it, you can have mold growing throughout the room. After that, it won’t take long before it begins to spread to other areas of the home. Mold growth in the home can lead to serious health problems. It can also cost thousands of dollars to remove mold from the home. Fortunately, if you take quick action, you can get a handle on the problem before it progresses that far. You might see mold in window ac units if you look carefully or you might see mold on the filter if you remove and examine it. You might not be able to see any mold, though, at least not right away. Small amounts of mold can be very hard to see, although given time the mold will grow and will probably become easier to see.  Another way to know if there is mold in your air conditioner is if there is a musty smell when you turn on your ac. Mold produces chemicals called microbial volatile organic compounds that give off a characteristic musty odor. If you smell that, there is mold somewhere in your home.

If you smell it most strongly when you turn on your air conditioner, the mold is probably in the ac unit, even if you can’t see it. If you or other members of your household are experiencing symptoms of mold-related illness, you might suspect the presence of mold somewhere in the home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(1), symptoms of mold-related illness are wide-ranging and include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, irritated eyes, sore throat, headaches, respiratory infections, fatigue and a general feeling of malaise. If you’ve recently started using your window ac for the season, mold in the ac unit might be the cause of your symptoms.To find out for certain, you can have a professional come in to test your air conditioner for mold. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to thoroughly remove all traces of mold in window ac units. It is actually cheaper and easier to simply replace the unit with a new one. That way you know you don’t have to worry about mold anymore.

In addition to replacing the ac unit, we recommend having a professional come in to check for the presence of mold in the wall around the window in which the mold ac unit was installed. It’s easy for mold to spread from a window air conditioner to a nearby wall, especially if the air conditioner was leaking any moisture, and mold frequently grows inside walls where you can’t see it. There it can continue to grow and spread throughout the home. Catching it early can save you much trouble, not to mention money, down the road. It can also prevent the development of serious mold-related health problems, including respiratory disorders like asthma and pneumonia. That’s right, you can schedule a free inspection for mold if you’re concerned about mold in your home. We recommend doing so if you’ve found mold in window air conditioner units so that you can make sure there is no mold in the walls adjacent to those windows. A mold removal professional will visit your home and inspect carefully for mold and if any mold is found, provide a written estimate for the cost of having the mold removed.