Extraneous sounds in the air conditioner — ways to eliminate

The operation of any climate control equipment is associated with the creation of a certain amount of noise. It is heard especially well at first after the installation of the equipment. Gradually, any person gets used to the hum of technology and simply ceases to notice it. That is why most people react so sharply to the appearance of extraneous sounds in the air conditioner. The fact that uncharacteristic sounds “tell” the owner of climate control equipment will be discussed in this article.

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Dangerous and safe sounds

If you have witnessed sounds that are uncharacteristic for the normal functioning of your air conditioner, then the first thing to do is not to panic and determine which category they belong to: dangerous or safe. The safe ones include:

• Slight creaking in the indoor unit of the split system. Such a creak appears, most often, when the temperature in the room changes and is caused by the expansion or contraction of the case plastic. Especially often the creak of the case occurs in inexpensive models, the case of which is made of cheap technical plastic.
• The splashing of running water immediately after turning off the air conditioner. Such a background occurs when the refrigerant flows to the lowest point of the freon route.

When such noises occur, you do not have to worry. Safe sounds usually do not characterize the breakdown of a household split system.

Sounds to watch out for

There are noises that can be harmless, and can characterize the breakdown of climate control equipment. These sounds include:

• The air conditioner makes clicking sounds. Most often, such clicking occurs when the compressor, fan and automation are turned on and off, and the reason for this is the normal functioning of the relay.If loud clicks appear during operation and are accompanied by a change in the tone of the equipment, contact the service center immediately.
• Safe, most often, include the sound of dripping water. The air conditioner may emit such bursts when the heat exchanger is defrosted, especially if it is in defrosting mode.It is better to carefully inspect the device to exclude the failure of the drain pump or a clogged drainage system.
• The change in the sound of the operation of the external unit of the split system in windy weather changes the noise of the operation of the climate equipment as a whole.But, if such a phenomenon appeared in calm weather and lasts for several days, then this may be triggered by debris entering the outdoor unit, which interferes with the rotation of the fan blades.
• The air conditioner makes «gurgling sounds». As a rule, such a sound occurs when air enters the drainage bath during a strong wind. A strong wind can overcome all the bends in the drain hose and break into the condensate pan. «Gurgling» may be the result of a kink in the drainage pipeline, or it may indicate more serious problems — air entering the refrigeration circuit of the split system with a decrease in the volume of refrigerant.

As experience shows, most of the problems caused by the appearance of such sounds should not be ignored. For your own peace of mind, it is best to contact the specialists of the service center for diagnostic measures.

Dangerous sounds and noises

Dangerous sounds indicate the appearance of a breakdown, which can lead to the failure of all equipment. The most dangerous sound that requires stopping the operation of climate control equipment and the immediate participation of a specialist is crackling in the external unit of the split system, indicating a compressor malfunction or a failed fan bearing.

You should know that the climacteric technique operating in normal mode is characterized by a uniform hum. Any intermittent sounds when the air conditioner is turned on, as well as a change in tone, require an urgent appeal to the service center specialists.

Ways to solve problems

There are only two options for solving the problems of the appearance of uncharacteristic noise during the operation of climate technology:

• On one’s own. Cheap, but at your own risk.
• Call a specialist to diagnose and fix problems. Quite expensive, but with a guarantee of the quality of the work.

Expert advice: You can independently replace and clean the filters of the split system, as well as wash the heat exchanger. You can eliminate gurgling by slightly bending the drain hose or installing a siphon to drain condensate into the sewer system. All other work on diagnosing climate equipment and eliminating the causes of uncharacteristic sounds is best left to professionals.