It’s 3 PM on a typically hot and sunny Singapore day. The air outside is scorching, and you’re relying on your aircon to be your cool, comfortable sanctuary. But you start to notice a problem. The aircon has been running for hours, but the room still feels stuffy and warm. It just can’t seem to keep up with the heat.
So, what’s going on? Is your aircon broken, or is this normal behaviour on a really hot day? This is a question our technicians at Vedha get all the time. The answer depends on one key thing: is your aircon just working hard, or is it losing the battle?
Working Hard vs. Losing the Battle: What’s Normal?
First, let’s be clear: on a very hot day, it is perfectly normal for a correctly sized air conditioner to run continuously for several hours during the afternoon. Its job is to remove the massive amount of heat that is constantly entering your home from the outside. During peak heat, this is a non-stop job.
You have a problem not when it runs constantly, but when it’s losing the battle. The warning signs are:
- The aircon runs non-stop, but the temperature in the room still slowly rises.
- The aircon gives up completely and shuts itself off in the middle of the afternoon.
If you’re experiencing either of these, your aircon is struggling for a reason. Here are the most common culprits.
Why Your Aircon is Losing the Fight
1. It’s Overheating Outside
This is a very common cause for an aircon shutting down in the afternoon. Your outdoor unit (the condenser) needs to release all the heat it has pulled from your home. If it can’t get rid of this heat efficiently, it will overheat, and a safety switch will shut the system down to prevent damage.
The two main reasons for this are:
- Dirty Condenser Coils: The metal fins on your outdoor unit are likely caked in a layer of dust and dirt. This grime acts like an insulating blanket, trapping the heat inside.
- Poor Airflow: The unit needs at least two feet of clear space around it to breathe. If it’s surrounded by overgrown plants, storage boxes, or other obstructions, the hot air can’t escape and the unit will choke.
2. It’s Suffocating Inside
The cooling process depends just as much on the indoor unit.
- Clogged Air Filters: This is always the first suspect for any aircon problem. A clogged filter starves your system of air, dramatically reducing its ability to cool.
- Frozen Evaporator Coils: Lack of airflow from a dirty filter can cause the indoor coil to get too cold and freeze into a block of ice. Once this happens, no air can pass through, and your system will only blow warm air.
3. The Unit is Undersized or Has Lost Power
- It’s Too Small for Your Home: Your aircon may have been undersized from the start. It might work fine on a normal 30°C day, but it simply doesn’t have the cooling capacity (BTU) to handle an extreme 34°C day with intense sun beating on your walls. It will run and run but will never be able to remove heat faster than it’s coming in.
- It’s Low on Refrigerant: If your system has a refrigerant leak, it has lost a critical amount of its cooling power. The compressor may be running, but it doesn’t have enough “lifeblood” to absorb the heat from your home effectively.
How You Can Help Your Aircon Win the Fight
You don’t have to surrender to the afternoon heat. Here are a few things you can do to help your aircon perform better:
- Keep It Clean: Make sure your indoor filters are clean and that the area around your outdoor unit is clear of any debris or plants.
- Block Out the Sun: During the hottest part of the day, close your curtains and blinds, especially on sun-facing windows. This reduces the amount of heat entering your home, giving your aircon a fighting chance.
- Don’t Turn It Off Mid-Day: It’s much harder for an aircon to cool a “heat-soaked” house than to maintain an already cool one. On hot days, it’s more efficient to set your thermostat to a reasonable temperature like 25-26°C and let it run, rather than turning it off and forcing it to start from scratch in the intense afternoon heat.
When You Need a Professional on Your Side
If your aircon is still struggling after you’ve cleaned the filters and checked for obstructions, it’s time to call in the professionals.
At Vedha, we specialize in getting to the root cause of an underperforming aircon. We can perform a thorough chemical cleaning of the outdoor and indoor coils to restore heat transfer, and our technicians have the professional tools to check for refrigerant leaks and test electrical components. We’ll find out exactly why your unit is losing the battle and get it back into fighting shape.
Don’t give up on a cool and comfortable home. If your aircon can’t handle the heat, call Vedha Construction at 96540044 or send us an email to schedule a check-up!
Vedha Aircon: Top Aircon Servicing services in Singapore at your home
We specialize in Aircon installation, repair, and service. We have all type & model of recon compressor, full set & fancoil. Our technicians are highly proficient in their respective field and repairs and fixes aircon of various brands.
