Why portable air conditioner not as cold

Daniel Jackson July 3, Basic troubleshooting This section covers problems that will stop the air conditioner from turning on or blowing air. Power to unit: Make sure your air conditioner is getting power. Check the air conditioner electrical plug. Fan obstruction: Check the fan grilles for obstruction, and shine a flashlight into the openings to see if anything is stopping the fans from moving.

A full water tank: There is almost always a warning indicator to tell you that the internal tank is full. If your AC shuts off suddenly and flashes or beeps, this is usually the cause. A dirty air filter in your portable air conditioner will impede the airflow coming from your AC. Cleaning the air filter regularly will ensure that your air conditioner is getting adequate airflow.

Be sure to check the fan is on high speed for maximum airflow. Portable AC fans will sometimes have two, or even three speeds. There should be a button on the AC that you can use to adjust the fan speed. If the fan is running on high but is still not blowing as hard as it should be, turn off your AC and check to see if the fan blade looks okay.

Sometimes dust can build up on the fan blades and cause a reduction in performance. If you need to clean the fan blades on your portable AC, there will likely be some disassembly required. The evaporator coil is another part that can get dirty as well. When removing the filter for cleaning, check to see that the evaporator coil is clean. The best choice is to use a vacuum cleaner to suck the dust away. For the dirtiest of coils, we reccommend using an AC coil cleaner solution.

AC coil cleaners help unstuck dirt, grime, and other debris from your air conditioner coils. Check out our article on AC coil cleaners for more info. The evaporator coil is the part that gets cold in your air conditioner.

Sometimes, the evaporator coil gets too cold, and ice starts to form on it. As ice accumulates, it gets harder and harder for air to flow through the coil. If your portable air conditioner has a frozen evaporator coil, then it may be a sign of another issue. Once you have corrected the above, the only thing to do is wait until the ice melts.

Run the AC in fan-only mode to speed up the thawing. The ice build-up will eventually melt and the water will collect in the tank or drain outside the portable AC. So remember to empty the tank after the ice melts. You can then use the AC in a smaller room and get a unit with a higher BTU rating to cool larger areas. Keep in mind that room size in square footage is not the only factor that determines the BTU rating to choose to make sure your room is cooled properly.

For most air conditioners, whether portable or window ACs, the refrigerant is meant to last throughout their lifetime. To fix the cooling problem, repair the leakage first and then refill the refrigerant with the same type of Freon recommended by the manufacturer. Some have a portable air conditioner recharge kit that can be used for this purpose. A broken thermostat means that the AC will not detect temperature change and know when to turn on or off.

This results in the unit making the home cooler or warmer than intended as it turns on and off erratically. Before working on a repair, check to make sure the temperature sensor is broken or out of place. On most air conditioners, the thermostat is located near the ovaporating coils where it measures the temperature and makes the air conditioner cool or warm the room accordingly.

If you cannot remove it yourself, get in touch with a HVAC and AC repair specialist in your area to help you remove and replace the thermostat. Before attempting any repairs on your AC unit, check to see if you have a limited or lifetime warranty.

This is something you want to mention to your repair technician as well to prevent voiding your warranty. Clean the AC filters 2.

A dirty portable AC is an inefficient cooling unit. This is why a greater part of the routine maintenance of a cooling unit is about removing dirt and maintaining the system in a clean condition. Dirty air filters, dirty evaporator coils, a dirty fan blower, and a dirty portable AC outer casing are all possible causes of poor airflow, overheating, and other AC problems.

If your portable AC is receiving little air into the cooling chamber due to clogged air filters, for example, the output cooled air will just be as limited and your portable AC will not be very cold. A portable AC can last for around 10 years or 15 years for strong models with good care and consistent maintenance. A poorly maintained portable AC will have broken parts and frequent repairs. In this case, the spot cooler may need replacement even before the average 10 years lifespan.

Ensure you get an up-to-the-minute model when replacing an old portable air conditioner; one that will best meet your cooling needs.