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Smelly air conditioning?
Expert explains what this could mean for your home
With temperatures forecast to hit 32C in the UK, more people across the country will be turning on their air conditioning. But, what are the most common issues consumers face with their air conditioning?
The team at BOXT have analysed Google search data to reveal the UK’s biggest air conditioning issues and also provided information on how to address these problems.
Andy Kerr, Founder at BOXT, says: “With the UK experiencing longer periods of hotter weather, the demand for domestic air conditioning units is growing. While air conditioning is a great long-term solution for cooling your home, consumers must be aware of how to look after their units to maximise their efficiency and prolong their lifespan.
“When you have air conditioning installed in your home, knowing how to properly look after the system is just as important as choosing the right unit. As is the case with many household appliances, failing to look after your system can limit its effectiveness and potentially cost you a lot of money in repairs.
“We have revealed the most common air conditioning issues and shared how to stop and address these issues to help consumers across the country.”
In the last year, there were 22,440 Google searches from the UK for common air conditioning concerns, including loud noises, frozen components, and draining issues. The findings show that leaking is the main air conditioning concern, amassing 8,880 Google searches across the UK in the last year. Warm air conditioning is also a major issue, with 8,440 UK searches for air conditioning blowing warm or hot air.
How to spot and address the most common air conditioning issues:
Air conditioning leak
There are several signs that your air conditioning unit may be leaking. Look at whether hot air is coming out of your vents when the temperature is set to cool, your unit isn’t cooling as it should, gurgling or rumbling sounds are coming from your system and if electricity bills are unusually high. If you spot any of these issues, seek the advice of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician immediately.
Air conditioning blowing hot air
Warm air flow can be due to a range of issues including electrical issues, clogging in the system or an issue with the compressor. If your unit is blowing out hot air when it’s set to cooling, contact a professional who will be able to get to the root of the problem.
Air conditioning smells
If your unit smells musty or mouldy, it could be a sign of drainage issues. Drainage problems can happen for a few different reasons, for example if the air conditioning units aren’t mounted level on your walls, your system won’t be able to drain properly, which could cause internal flooding. Issues around the drainage of your air conditioning must be sorted quickly to avoid a breakdown in your system, so contact a technician if there is a change in the smell of your unit.
Air conditioning frozen
An air conditioning unit will typically freeze up due to a lack of airflow. First, switch off your system for a couple of hours to let your system unfreeze. You should then check your filter and change it if it's dirty. If problems persist, call an expert.
Air conditioning blocked
The most common cause of a faulty air conditioning system is a clogged filter.¹ To address this problem, you first need to switch your system off. If you have a duct system, the filter is placed in the outdoor unit and can be removed by unclipping it. In a ductless system, the filter is found in the indoor unit; this again unclips. Replace the filter and turn your system back on to see if your system is now unblocked.
Andy Kerr, Founder
