The headline might make it sound as if we aren’t in favor of using ductless mini split systems (a.k.a. ductless heat pumps) for home heating and cooling. But we are! We think ductless heat pumps are one of the best solutions for home comfort around, especially for older homes or smaller homes without room for ductwork. Ductless mini split systems are convenient, easy and fast for professionals to install, improve indoor air quality, and have excellent energy efficiency.
Having mini-split installation done is a great way to solve comfort issues in your residence. These systems don’t require ductwork to provide energy-efficient heating and cooling. Like any other home comfort system, they can have issues sometimes. Here are some of the most common mini-split issues and how you can fix them.
Failed Indoor Air Handler
This is both a problem and an example of why ductless mini splits are beneficial. A ductless heat pump sends conditioned air directly into the living space through wall-mounted air handlers placed in different rooms around the house. One of these units can fail because of a broken motor, leading to a room that isn’t being cooled (or heated). However, the failure of a single indoor unit doesn’t affect the other units, so the rest of your home will remain cool while you arrange to have the broken air handler repaired.
Low Refrigerant Level Or Gas Leakage
If the air conditioner is not cooling your room properly, it could be due to low refrigerant levels. Refrigerant is a fluid or gaseous compound that absorbs heat from the environment and provides air conditioning when combined with the AC’s compressor and evaporator. If the AC was undercharged with refrigerant or if there is gas leakage in your split air conditioner, it might not perform as well as it should.
This problem occurs more commonly in areas located around coastal regions or anywhere close to sewage where air pollution and humidity are high. To solve this problem, you need to check the split AC’s indoor unit, outdoor unit, and the connection between them for possible leaks. After plugging any possible leaks, you should recharge the refrigerant gas to optimum levels as prescribed in the AC’s manual. However, it is not easy to accomplish those steps, and we recommend calling a professional to solve this issue.
Lack Of Cooling
Split air conditioners are quite efficient and they do not take too long to cool down the room to the required temperature. But if your split AC isn’t cooling as fast as it used to earlier despite keeping it turned on for hours, then it definitely has some issues. The reason behind your AC’s slow or lack of cooling could be a dirty air filter, blocked condensate drain, or ice formation on the evaporator coils.
Air filters are designed to protect the AC from dust, debris, and hair. If they are not cleaned frequently (once every six months), they can get clogged and affect the AC’s cooling performance. Another possible reason for the lack of cooling could be ice formation around the evaporator coils. Ice can form on the AC’s evaporator coils if you don’t maintain your AC regularly, which also leads to the collection of dirt, dust, and fungi on the air filter and other parts of the AC. The split AC’s cooling performance can also degrade when the outdoor compressor is dirty or gets blocked by debris, stopping it from exchanging air with the indoor unit.
Faulty Compressor
The split AC’s compressor, which is one of its main components, is situated in the outdoor unit. It takes care of the gas flow between the evaporator and the condenser. When the compressor doesn’t function properly, the AC won’t perform up to its full potential or sometimes it doesn’t work at all. The reason could be a burned wire, a defective start capacitor, or a defective compressor itself.
To solve a faulty compressor in your split AC, you have to get the condenser coil cleaned, check the capacitor, clean the outdoor unit’s fan cleaned, and replace the compressor (if it is found to be faulty). In case of your brand new AC’s compressor is found to be faulty, you can get it replaced or repaired free of cost under the standard brand warranty.

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