Why Does My Aircon Turn On By Itself?

Is your aircon turning on and off by itself ? In a country like a Singapore, air conditioners are more of a necessity in both homes and offices because the climate is generally hot and humid. This unit makes life more comfortable for us by providing a cool, soothing breeze. Therefore , any malfunction with it can be very inconveniencing. If you notice that your air conditioner keeps turning itself on, don’t panic . Instead, try to look at the possible causes of the problem and look for an immediate solution. If action is taken early enough, you can avoid costly repairs and keep your unit running for longer.

What may cause an air conditioner to keep turning itself on?

1. Dirt build-up on compressor
One of the common causes of an aircon switching itself on & off in Singapore is the accumulation of grime and dirt particles on the compressor. Dirt blocks the heat produced by the compressor from being ejected or released to the surroundings, which results in an increase in the temperature and pressure within the unit. This in turn trips or breaks the circuit, leading to unexpected air conditioner shut down. This breaking/ tripping is typically a safety measure that helps protect the unit’s parts from possible damage due to high temperature & pressure. With the aircon off for some time, the compressor will cool and gain lower temperature, making it reboot or switch on to the normal performance.

Frequent aircon on & off oscillations due to dirt build up on the compressor and filters can be avoided by cleaning the coil regularly. You can do this using hose pipe water. However, you should be very careful to avoid causing more damage to the system instead of repairing it. Unless you are qualified or have some experience, don’t try to mess with the inner components of your aircon. Some internal wires carry voltage in them and it’s hard to avoid them unless you can recognize them, which can put you at risk of electrical shock and your unit at risk of damage.

2. Faulty components
Automatic turning on of an air conditioner can be the result of faulty component (s) in the unit. If, for instance, the electronic circuit board of the unit is faulty, it can lead to frequent unpredicted shutdowns & reboots. The circuit board controls the fan unit. Other damaged aircon parts might result in the malfunctioning of the board and increase the load on the thermal breaker, making it to trip often.

Performing regular aircon servicing even when your unit is working optimally can help nib the problem early enough. However, if the on and off switching is due to a faulty component, the best thing is to take it for professional repair. Parts such as the circuit board are very delicate and only qualified technicians can understand how every small part functions and identify the faulty component.

3. Energy-saver features
Before you call a local aircon repair technician, you should check first if the unit has an energy-saver/sleep-mode feature. Most air conditioner units especially the newer models as well as those that are Energy Star rated come with these features to help conserve power . If the function is turned on, your unit is likely to turn itself on and off at regular intervals throughout the day.

Try reading your unit’s owner manual to check for the user instructions. You may want to turn off the energy-saver feature for a few days and note if the problem persists. If it does, something else might be causing it and you need to locate it as soon as possible. If not, you can turn on the feature again for your own benefit.

4. Faulty safety switch
If you’ve already cleaned your unit’s compressor, filters and coil but the power keeps tripping, the problem might be with the safety switch. You should consider having it inspected by a technician to know whether it can be repaired or if replacement is necessary.

In most cases, troubleshooting a faulty air conditioning unit can only be performed by those with expertise in fixing and servicing these systems. So, to know the exact causes of your system turning itself on, you should consider consulting a professional technician. Never attempt any repair work on your own to avoid causing further damage or incurring costly repairs.