Maintenance of a split air conditioner

Why does not my split air conditioner cool properly?

An air conditioner has the task to transport heat. Normally, in the cooling mode, the heat should be released from the eg living space outside to the environment. This heat transfer works best when the heat exchanger surfaces, visible as "fins" on the appliances, on the air conditioners, are clean, the fans are in function and the refrigerant charge in the air conditioning system is as provided by the manufacturer. So here we go from an intact air conditioning.

In the course of the service life, the fans not only convey air, but also dust and dirt to the heat exchangers. These impurities lead to an ever worse functioning heat transfer to the heat exchanger fins ("cooling fins").

If the indoor air conditioner is dirty, sufficient heat can no longer be absorbed and the cooling capacity of the air conditioner decreases. The filters on the indoor climate unit must therefore be regularly checked for contamination.

It is also advisable to clean the heat exchanger fins from time to time with water and special cleaners (disinfectants). This eliminates unpleasant odors and keeps the heat exchanger surfaces clean.

ATTENTION: Cleaning may only be carried out when the air conditioner is switched off!

If the lamellae are dry, it is best to first use a vacuum cleaner to vacuum out the coarse dust particles (it is imperative that the fins are not damaged or bent!) If no dust particles are visible, you can with a conventional spray bottle eg an empty glass cleaner bottle or similar clean the slats wet. To remove unpleasant odors from the air conditioner, special cleaners / disinfectants for air conditioners are used. These are available in online retail for about 30 € to buy.

If cleaning / disinfecting the indoor unit has been performed, check the outdoor unit of the air conditioner for contamination. By the fan of the outdoor unit, many particles such as dust, pollen and some paper are sucked.

Over time, these particles clog the fins of the air conditioning outdoor unit and it can no longer be required air through the heat exchanger. The air conditioning is not enough cooled!

The consequences are: 

1. Increased power consumption
2. Loss of cooling capacity
3. Increased wear up to the compressor damage due to overheating
4. Failure of the air conditioning

ATTENTION: Cleaning may only be carried out when the air conditioner is switched off and de-energized!

Again, you should first vacuum with a dust cleaner, the coarse dust and dirt particles. When this is done you can wet the heat exchanger surfaces with water. This can be done by means of a spray bottle or a commercial cleaning syringe with a fine spray. It is important to ensure that no electrical equipment such as the fan or electronics components are damaged with water. After cleaning and a short dripping time, the air conditioner can be put into operation.

Why is water dripping from my air conditioner?

Air conditioners inevitably dehumidify the room air. It comes to the formation of drops on the slats of the Klima indoor unit. This accumulating condensate water is collected and removed via the condensate tray under the heat exchanger package.

In the best case, the water can drain freely and be discharged. If this is not possible, because, for example, the waste water connection is above the climate indoor unit, a condensate pump is used. These pumps capture the accumulated condensate water in a small vessel and convey it to the nearest wastewater connection.

If condensate water is running out of your intact air conditioning system, the condensate can not drain water freely or, if present, the condensate pump is faulty. Here you should check the condensate tray under the disk pack on the climate indoor unit for contamination. If contamination by dust and dirt can be ruled out, the procedure must be checked and, if necessary, rinsed. If a condensate pump is installed on your air conditioner, it must be checked for contamination and function. For ceiling built-in air conditioners, a condensate pump is always installed.