Troubleshooting Frigidaire Air Conditioners

After more than 100 years of building home appliances, Frigidaire has figured out how to make window, portable, and built-in air conditioners that work. But no brand of air conditioner is infallible. Some of the most common things that go wrong with Frigidaire air conditioners have simple fixes, but others require potentially pricy repairs. You won't know what kind of solution your broken Frigidaire air conditioner needs until you diagnose the problem.

Checking that it's still connected to power is always the first step when a home appliance won't turn on. Try connecting your air conditioner to another outlet (using an extension cord if necessary). If the unit turns on, you know that a dead outlet is the reason the air conditioner isn't working. Reset the breaker for the room and contact an electrician if the problem persists.

Certain models of Frigidaire air conditioners can be programmed to turn on when the room temperature is above a certain point. If your unit is getting power but isn't kicking on when it should, you may have a broken thermistor. It's the sensor that tells the air conditioner when the room gets hot.

A dirty filter is often the culprit when your window air conditioner is running but not cooling down the room. Cleaning the filters and straightening bent fins are parts of routine air conditioner maintenance, so these are worthwhile steps even if they don't ultimately solve your problem. Use fin combs to carefully straighten the fins, which should allow the unit to pull in and cool more air. Spray the fins with compressed air to get rid of any dirt or debris blocking airflow.

If the air conditioner still won't blow cold air, contact a technician. The root cause may be a refrigerant leak, leaving too little refrigerant in the system to cool down the air conditioner's coils and generate cold air. A failing compressor could also be the cause; if it's not circulating the refrigerant, the air conditioner will blow warm air. Both problems generally require a professional's help. But consider the fact that the cost of repairing a window or portable air conditioner is sometimes greater than the cost of buying a new one.

Many models of Frigidaire air conditioners come with remote controls, allowing users to adjust the temperature from anywhere in the room. If the remote stops working but you're still able to manually operate the air conditioner, you've probably already tried the obvious solution: Replace the batteries. Assuming the remote still isn't working, there's a problem with the communication between the infrared sensor in the remote and receiver inside the air conditioner. You can try buying a replacement remote control. But if the malfunction lies within the air conditioner's receiver rather than the remote itself, this solution won't work.

It's hard to enjoy the cool air when you're worried that your air conditioner is going to fall out of the window at any moment. If your Frigidaire window air conditioner seems shaky, grab a second person to help you and bring the air conditioner inside. Check the window sill for signs of rotting and make any necessary repairs to ensure that the air conditioner is sitting on a stable surface. Put new weather stripping along the windowsill and consider installing a window bracket to give the air conditioner some added stability.

With someone's help, reinstall the air conditioner and carefully lower the top window to hold the unit in place. Adjust the side panels to close any gaps on the sides of the air conditioner. Using screws to secure the air conditioner's plastic frame to the window will provide extra security but could damage the sash.

Air conditioners always make some noise, and portable units are generally louder than central air conditioners are. But if your Frigidaire air conditioner suddenly begins making a lot more noise than normal, it could be a sign that the compressor is failing. Buzzing or shrieking noises could also be an indication that something has come loose within the air conditioner or that you have a bent fan blade that needs straightening.

A portable Frigidaire air conditioner may also create loud vibrations if it's sitting on an uneven surface like the warped wood floor in an old home. Moving it to a new spot could make the unit quieter.