Many things make our home comfortable and the air conditioner is one. Even if it’s not a life-and-death situation, having cool air on a hot summer day can really make a difference. Should you have an Amana air conditioner, you might want to learn a thing or two about its possible issues. Even if Amana air conditioners are reliable and long-lasting, they can still develop issues over time.
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A brief note on Amana and Amana air conditioners
Amana brand of heating and cooling systems is one of the leading organizations’ experts in indoor comfort devices. The brand has a long history of technological developments that led to excellent energy-efficient heating and cooling performance for all sorts of budgets. Amana is part of the Daikin organization, which has developed technology for indoor comfort for almost a century.
Having said that, it makes perfect sense that Amana units (air conditioners, heat pumps, and gas furnaces) are time-tested and durable products. You can also buy from Amana thermostats, air handlers, air cleaners, humidifiers, and various HVAC-related products. The quality, energy efficiency, and warranty of Amana air conditioners seal the deal for many customers.
One of the most representative Amana air conditioning units comes with a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) of 24.5 and a lifetime compressor warranty. The low-end models have at least a 10-year limited warranty on parts, whereas the high-end models come with a lifetime unit replacement warranty in case the heat exchanger and compressor fail. Despite the relatively high costs for installation, Amana air conditioners are worth every penny as they’re long-lasting, dependable, and have a great warranty.
Five common problems with Amana air conditioners
As with anything in life, some of the Amana air conditioner problems have easy fixes, whereas others will attend professional servicing. The following Amana air conditioner troubleshooting guide will come in handy. It covers the most common problems with Amana air conditioners and the possible fixes.
Amana air conditioner doesn’t turn on
You don’t need to be a professional HVAC technician to know that an air conditioner that doesn’t turn on has no use. Here are the most common possible causes for your air conditioner not turning on:
The thermostat is improperly set
The unit will not turn on when you haven’t properly set the air conditioner. Check out to see if the air conditioner is set on the COOL or AUTO mode.
The compressor is off
Go outside and take a look at the compressor. When the compressor is off, the AC will not turn on.
The power cord is defective
Should the power cord be defective, the AC won’t turn on. The power cord will cut off the AC power supply and you can check out the faulty cable with a multimeter. You will need further information on how to use and read a multimeter.
The breaker is tripped
When the breaker trips, the AC will no longer turn on. The breaker may trip for various reasons, such as a power surge.
The power outlet is defective
You may use a multimeter and see if the power outlet is defective. The air conditioner will not turn on if you discover a faulty power outlet.
The air filter is clogged
Dirty air filters can make the AC not turn on. A dirty filter will block the airflow, making it difficult for the AC to power.
The outdoor unit is clogged
The condenser and fan may stop the AC from turning on when the dirt clogs them. Check out to see if that’s the case.
The wiring is faulty
In case of a loose and broken wire or various wiring problems, the air conditioner won’t turn on. Professional servicing will be necessary.
What’s the fix?
You should turn on the compressor if it’s off and set the thermostat in COOL or AUTO mode. Should the breaker be off, you have to reset it; in case of the defective power cord or power outlet, they will need replacing. A clogged filter will also require replacement, whereas a dirty outdoor unit will need cleaning. If the wiring is defective, you need to call the professionals.
The air conditioner powers on but doesn’t start
Sometimes, your Amana air conditioner turns on, but it doesn’t start to run. If so, the possible causes are:
The air filters are clogged
A clogged air filter cannot circulate air and stop the AC from running, even if the power still turns on.
Improper size of the AC unit
When the AC unit is too big or too small for your household, the AC will power but won’t run. To make an idea about the proper size for the unit, a 5000BTU AC capacity will cool a 150sqft area. An oversized and undersized unit needs replacement with the correct capacity. Please keep in mind the following tips when determining the proper size for your AC unit:
- Increase the BTU by 4000 BTU if the AC is in the kitchen
- Reduce the BTU by 10% if the room has a lot of shade
- Increase the BTU by 600 BTU for every person when there are more than two persons in a room
- Increase the BTU by 10% when the room is very sunny
The compressor is faulty
A faulty compressor will make the AC unit turn on but not run.
The capacitor is bad
The compressor cannot perform without a capacitor. Should the capacitor be defective, the compressor won’t run, so the AC unit won’t be able to run either.
What’s the fix?
Clogged filters will need replacement, whereas the faulty compressor and faulty capacitor require professional replacement.
The Amana air conditioner turns on and off
You know that everything is fine with your AC when it runs once it powers one. Sometimes, the air conditioner will develop a short-cycling phase. It means that the unit keeps on turning on and off. Some of the possible reasons are:
The airflow has issues
If the air filter or outdoor unit has dirt clogs, the unit may turn on and start and stop shortly after.
The thermostat is in the wrong location
When the thermostat is close to a window, air vent, or under direct sunlight, the thermostat will give a wrong read. As a result, the AC will keep on running and stopping. Check out the thermostat location if your AC is short-cycling.
The AC is too big for your house
Bigger isn’t always better, and that’s the case for the AC. When the air conditioner is too big, it will cool the room too fast, rendering into going on and off.
There is a refrigerant leakage
A leaking refrigerant will freeze the evaporator coils and stop the air conditioner from operating correctly.
There is an electrical fault
The air conditioner may short-cycle due to defective wiring.
What’s the fix?
A dirty air filter will require replacement, whereas a dirty outdoor unit will need cleaning. Make sure you find the best location for the thermostat and buy a properly-sized AC unit for your home. You will need to call in the pros for refrigerant leakage and electrical fault.
The Amana air conditioner doesn’t blow cold air
Efficient cold airflow is paramount for air conditioners. Several issues can stop the air conditioner from blowing cold air:
Problems with the power
If there’s a problem with the power, the AC won’t be able to blow cool air.
The thermostat isn’t correctly set
The AC will blow cool air only if it’s set to COOL or AUTO mode. When it’s not set on any of these modes, it will not cool the room.
The ductwork or condensate line is clogged
The air conditioner may not blow cold air if the ductwork or condensate line is blocked.
There are problems with the airflow
The air conditioner will fail to blow cold air when the air filter or the outdoor unit is clogged with dirt. You may address the problem by checking them for filthiness.
There is a refrigerant leakage
A low refrigerant can stop the AC unit from cooling the house. If that’s the problem, the evaporator coils to ice up, so it’s impossible for the unit to dissipate hot air.
Some components are defective
When some of the AC’s unit components are faulty (compressor, thermostat, thermistor, capacitor, fan, or control board), the air conditioner will not blow cold air. You need to call in the HVAC technician for further investigation.
The fan is not working
Sometimes, the air conditioner doesn’t blow cold air because the fan is defective. The fan doesn’t work when any of the following components are defective:
- The blower motor
- The fan motor
- The relay board
- The main control board
Any of these components will need replacement if they’ve gone defective. Needless to say, this is a job better left to the professionals.
What’s the fix?
First of all, take a look at the air conditioner’s power supply to make sure that it has power. When it doesn’t have power, you have to power it on. See if the thermostat is set on COOL or AUTO mode and replace the air filters when dirty. Clean the dirty outdoor unit and clear the blocked condensate line and ductwork. Call in the experts if there’s a component failure or refrigerant leakage.
Amana air conditioners won’t blow warm air
It can also happen that the air conditioner doesn’t blow warm air. The possible problems in such a situation are:
The thermostat is wrongly set
The air conditioner won’t blow warm air if you’ve set it to COOL mode. As a result, it will blow cold air.
The compressor is turned off
The AC will not perform or blow warm air when the compressor is off.
The fan doesn’t work
Should the fan become defective, it will also stop the AC from blowing cold and warm air.
The air filter is clogged
The flow will be restricted when the air filter is clogged with dirt. Therefore, the AC will no longer blow warm air.
The air duct is blocked
The air conditioner cannot blow warm air when the air duct is clogged.
There’s an electrical fault
One of the reasons why the AC fails to warm up is faulty wiring.
What’s the fix?
You must set the thermostat on HEAT or AUTO to ensure it starts heating. See the compressor and turn it on if it’s off. In case of a clogged air filter, you need to replace it, and if the fan is defective, you have to call the pros for replacement. A clogged air duct will require unblocking and an electrical fault will definitely require professional servicing.