Window AC Unit Blows Out Lukewarm Air? Improve The Unit's Cooling With This Information And Tips
Posted on: 9 April 2016
If your window AC unit blows out lukewarm air, it's time to clean the condensing coil in the back of the unit. Even if you clean the front grilles of your window unit and change the air filter regularly, dirt can still cause problems with the AC unit's refrigerant system if the condensing coil can't reject heat. Here's how the refrigerant system works, what happens when dirt builds up on the condensing coil and what you can do to improve the AC's cooling problem.
How Can Dirt Affect the Unit's Refrigerant System?
Air conditioning units rely on a complex refrigerant systems to operate, which include a compressor, condenser coil and evaporator coil. The compressor receives heated low-pressured gas from the evaporator coil, which is the part that releases cold air into the home through the front of the window unit. The compressor is responsible for increasing the temperature and pressure of the gas it receives before sending it to the condensing coil to be cooled.
The condenser coil cools down the gas removing and ejecting its heat to the outdoors. In the process of being cooled, the refrigerant gas changes to a liquid that circulates back evaporator coil. If dirt builds up on the condensing coil, it may keep the part from receiving and releasing heat out the window unit. The heat inside the condensing coil may back up into the compressor, which can overheat from the excess strain placed on it.
The evaporator coil can't cool the room because if it doesn't receive cold refrigerant. Instead, the coil pushes warm air into the room. Cleaning the condenser coil may solve your cooling problem.
How Do You Clean the Condensing Coil?
You'll need to obtain a few supplies to clean the back of the window unit:
- Phillips screwdriver
- Spray bottle filled with 4 cups of warm or hot water and 3 drops of dish detergent
- 2 or 3 cleaning rags
- Sturdy table or workbench
Now, do the things below:
- Unplug the window unit from its power source, then remove it from the window. You may need to check with your appliance's owner's manual for this step.
- Place the AC on the table or workbench.
- Use your screwdriver to remove the unit's back case to expose the condenser coil.
- Wash down the condenser coil with your soapy water.
- Rinse the condensing coil off with a water hose, then wait for the coil to dry. The drying time may vary, so check the coil regularly.
- Replace the unit's back case, then place the unit back into the window.
- Plug the unit back into the power supply, then wait for it to cool down the room.
If the room feels cooler, then you solved the issue. It's a good idea that you clean the condensing coil every time you change the AC's air filter, which is every 1-3 months.
If the room still feels warm, contact an air conditioning specialist for help. Contact an air conditioning company for help with your system.
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