While no one expects their air conditioning unit to break down or cause them problems, it is something that you should be prepared for. Hopefully the brand you choose to invest in will be reliable and not give you too many problems, but it is worth knowing what to keep an eye out for should the worse happen.

There are a number of things that could go wrong with your  unit, but 4 of the most common air conditioning problems that you could come across include:

Inside Coil Frozen

If you find that your air conditioning unit isn’t getting as cool as it should be, or that it is unreliable then this could be down to the inside coil being frozen. Although this can seem like quite a major problem it is something that happens quite often and is relatively easy to fix. An inside coil being frozen can be caused by an unclean air filter or a blocked return air ductwork. If you notice that this does start to be a problem then the first thing you need to do is switch of the system completely. You can look at getting a professional air conditioning company in to help with this but cleaning out the air filters could be a good place to start before you go down this route.

Faulty Wiring

If your air conditioning unit seems to be cutting out or experiencing power surges then this could be down to faulty wiring. If the wiring inside the system becomes damaged then this will result in the unit being able to get a consistent flow of power to keep it working as it should. This is definitely something that you should get a professional to look at, because it could be dangerous and even a fire hazard.

Low Levels of Refrigerant

Freon, the refrigerant in these systems is what is used to cool the air. If you find that the air is not getting as cool as it used to then this could be caused by low levels of refrigerant. If this happens then the likely cause is a leak and this is something that needs to be looked at. It can seem tempting to simply try and top of the levels of refrigerant by pouring more in, but this is not usually the answer – after all, if there is a leak then this will just continue to cause you problems.

Exterior Fan Not Working

The exterior fan has the important job of moving the heat from your room to the outside. If you find that your air conditioning unit doesn’t work properly or starts to overheat then this could be the cause of the problem. This is probably not something you can fix yourself unless you have air conditioning experience, but it is worth getting an expert to take a look and see what they can do for you.

Of course other issues can (and will) arise surrounding your air conditioning unit, but these are the 4 that you should definitely be keeping an eye out for!

Over recent years, as technology has changed and progressed so have air conditioning units. This means that the cooling devices are now more emergency efficient than ever. Whilst this is good  news it does mean that there is no definitive answer to the question ‘how much energy is used by air conditioning?’. There are lots of factors that could affect how much energy your air conditioner users, although probably none more so than how old (or new) your unit is.

How Air Conditioning Units Work

When you break it down an air conditioning unit doesn’t work all that differently to a fridge. Basically inside their are pumps and a series of tubes that create a cooling system. There is a set of serpentine tubing inside, usually made of copper that winds into two coils – an evaporator and a condenser. The evaporator coil cools the room and the condenser coil releases the heat that is created by the machine running and using up energy.

Of course, you don’t really need to know how an air conditioning unit works most of the time. As long as you can switch it on and it works as it should then that is really all you need to worry about.

The Energy That Is Used

When it comes to looking at how much energy is actually used, it can get quite complex. Most units that you buy now will have an energy efficiency rating so this will at least give you an idea of how much energy it will take and how expensive it will be to run.

If you look at the actual energy rating for an air conditioning unit you’ll see that they’re rated by BTU (British Thermal Units) and how many of these it can remove in an hour – with 12,000 BTU being the equivalent of a ton. The energy efficiency rating you’ll see us measured by look at the BTU per hour and dividing this by the number of watts the unit takes to run. You are then left with an EER (Energy efficiency ratio) which is used to decide how efficient it is.

Cutting Down The Energy Used

Of course if you do have an air conditioning unit, that doesn’t mean that you have to pay over the top to run it. As long as you run it in the right way, you can help to keep the costs down as low as possible. One of the biggest factors of this is only using it when you need to. Generally speaking these units cool the air quickly, so there is no need to leave them on in anticipation of it getting too warm – wait until you actually need it. Of course you can also take steps to stop rooms from getting to warm, such as closing curtains and blinds to prevent direct sunlight beaming through the window and making the room extra hot.

It goes without saying that there are a number of things that can go wrong with your air conditioning unit, so if you notice that it isn’t working as it should get it looked at straight away. Often with air conditioning units small problems can be fixed quite easily, but if it is left then it tends to get worse and much harder to fix – which of course is something that you want to avoid.

That said; Knowing common faults and what to look out for can only be a good thing, so what should you be looking out for?

Faulty Wiring

If you find that your air conditioning unit is cutting out, not getting as much power as it should or it is tripping the circuit breaker than this could be a problem with the wiring. This is often a small problem, but it is important to get it looked at straight away.

Refrigerant Levels Low

Refrigerant is the chemical that cools the air. If you find that your refrigerant levels are low then this could indicate that there is a leak which of course needs to be located and repaired as soon as possible.

Fan Not Working

The fan located outside of your air conditioning unit is what helps to transfer heat from your home to the outside air. If you notice that this isn’t working then you should get it looked into because it may cause the compressor to overheat which can lead to much bigger problems. Generally the fan should be working constantly at the same speed, if you notice that it stops and starts then use this as an indication that it needs to be looked at.

Unit Not Working as It should

If you notice that there is a general lack of power to your unit, the thermostat isn’t working or it keeps cutting out then this could lead to bigger problems. It can be hard to pinpoint the exact problem which is why it is essential to get someone in to have a look at this for you.

Airflow Problems

If the airflow from your air conditioning unit starts to become uneven then this could indicate anything from dirty air filters, blocked return air ductwork or even frozen inside coils (your coils should not look frozen at all).

As someone who is in charge of the smooth running of a pub, you’ll need to give careful consideration to the type of refrigeration you have in your premises. At the end of the day you want food and drink to be stored safely and your customers want to be served cold drinks and choosing the right type of refrigeration is vital to making sure that this happens.

Reach-In Coolers

These are the type of coolers that are usually found in the kitchen. Generally these are used to store large volumes of food and drink and as the name suggests are designed to be reached into to find the items that they need to get. Generally these don’t take up much room and are a good way of storing items in bulk.

Walk-In Coolers

These are also designed to store loads of items inside, but as the name suggests they are refrigerators that you walk into rather than reach into. You’ll need a bit of room to have one of these but they are handy if you have large amounts to store, so for example if you’re in charge of a pub that sells food.

Bar Refrigerators

You’ll also need to think about bar refrigerators, because this is where you’ll store drinks to make sure that they stay cool. It is important that you give consideration to these, because you need a set up that is going to stay the right temperature even when doors are being opened and closed all day which lets warm air in.

Choosing The Right System

Whether you’re looking for bar refrigerators, walk-in coolers or another type of refrigerator you need to make sure that it is right for your needs. One thing to make sure you check is the energy efficiency of the system you choose. These are going to be switched on all of the time, so you want something that is not going to cost you too much to run.

On top of that you want to make sure that whatever you choose, it is a refrigerator that really works. Have a look online and read reviews of the make/model you are interested in, this should give you a good idea whether it is going to give you good value for money or not.

Just make sure that you measure the area you have available for your refrigerators so that you can make sure that whatever type of refrigerator you buy, it is going to fit into the space you have available.

You might not have looked very closely at the ice you have in your drinks, but if you did then you’ll notice a difference. When you make ice at home you’ll generally find that it is opaque whereas if you were to look at the ice you are given in restaurants and bars it is generally see through. Of course it doesn’t make a big difference to the taste of your drink, but it can be fun to make clear ice cubes at home.

Thankfully there are a few different ways to make clear ice cubes, all of which are reasonably easy to do.

Boiled Water

When you make ice normally, it is the air and mineral impurities that cause the ice to become opaque. By using boiled water you get rid of as much of the air as possible which helps the ice to be made as clear as possible.  If you have time then you should boil the water twice, allowing it to cool completely in-between boils. Make sure that while it is cooling it is covered to stop it from collecting dust. When you pour your boiled water into ice trays make sure that you cover in plastic wrap to keep out particles – that way you can be sure that the ice will freeze clear rather than opaque.

Top-Down Freezing

With this method you’ll need to get a cooler to use – the type you usually take on a picnic to keep your food cool will work well, just make sure that it fits in your freezer.  Place an ice tray at the bottom of the bag and fill with water – you can use distilled water for this but many people claim that tap water works just as well. When you pour your water in to be frozen, pour it into the bottom of the cooler so that the ice tray is surrounded by water. This helps to seal your ice cubes and make sure that they’re kept clear of particles etc. Place your cooler into the freezer with the top open and freeze for at least 24 hours. The best way to do this is to freeze them slowly, so setting your freezer to around 20°F should be fine. When you take the tray out of the bag you’ll find that the top layer is cloudy, but once you chip this off the ice you are left with underneath is perfectly clear ice cubes.