My air conditioning is not working. What should I do?

As the outside temperatures rise and the sun is beating through the windows, it is tempting to turn your portable air conditioning down to as low as 16 degrees, thinking that the colder the air conditioner is set, the faster it will cool the room. 

In fact, this is not how the cooling units work.  Whatever the temperature is set at, an air conditioner will pump out the same amount of cool air, and setting it at a lower temperature only tells it when to stop pumping out the cool air, rather than speeding up the cooling effect.

The air conditioning units should ideally be set at around 24/25 degrees, to ensure that the units are not working so hard that they stop working altogether. 

The models most affected by the hot temperatures are the Climatemaster, KY32, Trotec 2600, PKY12 or Compact 12, whereas units such as the Weltems, can cope with the exceptional temperatures.

If your portable air conditioner does stop working or is not cooling the room, there are a few things you can do –

·         Reset the temperature on the unit(s) , as above

·         The cooling units have a water reservoir inside.  If the temperature rises and the unit is overworking, the reservoir may fill with water and need emptying.

·         Check whether the  filter needs cleaning

·         Check that the air conditioner is the correct size for the room – you may need to hire an  additional unit during exceptionally hot periods

·         Ensure that the unit can vent the hot air outside, either through a ceiling void or using a window panel

·          Close other windows and doors so the unit is cooling the room and not other areas.