Air conditioning faults in Alcoy: the most common ones and when a repair is worth it

The air conditioning faults we see most often in Alcoy come down to five: the unit doesn't cool or doesn't heat, it drips, it's noisy, it smells or it stops and shows an error code. Many have a simple fix, and some you can rule out yourself in five minutes before calling anyone.

Whether a repair is worth it depends on the unit's age, which part has failed and the gas it uses. Here's what each symptom means, what you can check yourself, when you need a technician and how to decide between repairing and replacing.

The most common air conditioning faults in Alcoy

Almost every call we get from Alcoy starts the same way: ‘the air con isn't working properly’. Behind that phrase are very different faults. This table will help you get your bearings:

Low gas deserves a word. Air conditioning doesn't ‘use up’ gas: if it's low, there's a leak. Recharging without finding and fixing it means paying twice, because it soon fails again.

In winter: when the heat pump won't heat

Alcoy is inland, among mountains, and its winters are considerably colder than on the coast. That's why many flats in the Eixample, Santa Rosa or the Zona Nord use their split as heating, and in winter faults appear that you hardly ever see in Alicante.

There's one that isn't a fault: defrosting. In cold, damp weather, frost builds up on the outdoor unit and the system stops heating for a while to melt that ice. You'll see the outdoor fan stop and steam coming out. That's normal. What isn't normal is for it to happen constantly, for a block of ice to build up on the outdoor unit or for the system never to manage to heat the house. That does need checking.

What you can check yourself before calling a technician

Before booking a visit, it's worth ruling out the simplest things. These are safe checks, without opening anything or touching the gas circuit:

1. Remote and mode. Change the batteries and check it's set to cooling or heating, not fan or dehumidify.
2. Fuse box. Check whether the RCD or the air conditioning circuit breaker has tripped.
3. Filters. Open the indoor unit's cover, take out the filters and wash them in lukewarm water. Let them dry before putting them back.
4. Outdoor unit. Check there are no leaves, bags or dust blocking the grille, and that nothing is rubbing against the fan.
5. Drain. Follow the pipe coming out of the indoor unit and check it isn't kinked or squashed.
6. Error code. If the unit is flashing, note down the code or the number of flashes. It saves us time on the diagnosis.

If the unit is still the same after this, it's time to call. Don't open the casing or try to recharge the gas yourself: there's live electrical current and the refrigerant is under pressure.

When to call an air conditioning technician in Alcoy

Some symptoms shouldn't be ignored, because if the unit keeps running like that the fault usually gets worse:

• Ice on the copper pipes or on the indoor unit in the middle of summer.
• Metallic noises, knocking or a loud hum from the outdoor unit.
• The unit starts and stops every few minutes.
• The RCD trips every time you switch it on.
• It cools less than last summer even though you've cleaned the filters.
• Water running down the wall or the façade.

Anything to do with the refrigerant gas (finding leaks, brazing, emptying or charging the circuit) must be done by staff holding the official fluorinated gas certification and working for an authorised company, as required by Spain's Real Decreto 115/2017. Always ask whoever is going to work on your unit to show it.

For businesses and industrial units, such as those in Cotes Baixes or Santiago Payà, the criterion is different: every hour of downtime costs money. There, the sensible option is a maintenance contract, which also gives you priority when a fault comes up.

Repair or replace your air conditioning?

There's no age beyond which replacing always pays off. It depends on what has failed and how much life your unit has left. These are the criteria we use to advise a customer:

The R22 rule comes from European legislation on substances that deplete the ozone layer (Regulation (EC) 1005/2009). If yours is an older unit, check the label on the outdoor unit: it states the type of refrigerant.

If you do replace it, think about Alcoy's winter too. A modern heat pump unit can often heat the house without any other heating, and if you replace it you can take the opportunity to put the unit where it works best. On our page on air conditioning installation in Alcoy you'll find the types of unit we fit, from splits to ducted or cassette systems.

How we handle breakdowns in Alcoy from Ibi

We cover Alcoy from our Ibi branch, on calle Madrid, with our own technicians in the Foia de Castalla and l’Alcoià. This is how we handle a breakdown:

1. Tell us what's happening: the symptom, the brand and, if there is one, the error code.
2. Visit and diagnosis: the technician finds the cause before replacing any part.
3. Fixed written quote: you know what you'll pay before we touch anything. If a repair isn't worth it, we'll tell you.
4. Repair with genuine spare parts and a check with the unit running.

We've been working since 2003 with our own staff, without subcontracting, and with an ISO 9001:2015 quality system. We're the official technical service for several brands, including Daikin, Panasonic, Hitachi, Bosch and Mitsubishi. And the people who install your unit are the ones who repair it throughout its working life, so you don't have to explain your air conditioning's history to someone new every time.

If the unit does end up needing replacing and we install the new one, we remove and recycle the old one at no extra cost.

Frequently asked questions about air conditioning faults in Alcoy

Why is my air conditioning dripping water inside the house?

It's almost always the drain: the pipe is blocked or kinked, or the condensate tray has filled up. It can also happen if the unit isn't level. Switch it off so it stops dripping and have it checked.

Is it normal for the outdoor unit to give off steam and stop in winter?

Yes, it's defrosting. In cold, damp weather, frost forms on the outdoor unit and the system stops for a while to melt the ice. In Alcoy it happens often on cold mornings. If it does it non-stop or a block of ice forms, then it is a fault.

Can you just recharge the gas?

Recharging without fixing the leak doesn't solve it: the gas escapes again. First the leak has to be located and repaired, and then the circuit charged. This work must be done by staff certified in fluorinated gases.

Do you deal with breakdowns in Alcoy and the surrounding villages?

Yes. From our Ibi branch we cover Alcoy, the Foia de Castalla (Castalla, Onil, Tibi) and villages such as Banyeres de Mariola, Agres and Beneixama.

When is it worth replacing your air conditioning instead of repairing it?

When the unit runs on R22 gas, when the compressor has failed in a unit that's many years old, or when faults keep recurring. In other cases, a properly done repair is usually the most sensible option. We'll tell you with the quote in hand.

Book a check-up for your air conditioning in Alcoy

If your unit isn't cooling, isn't heating, is dripping or is noisy, tell us what's wrong. We'll come and look at it, find the cause and give you a fixed written quote before any repair. If it's not worth fixing, we'll tell you and explain which unit suits your home or business.

There's more information on the page for Davofrío Ibi and on our service page for air conditioning in Alcoy.

If the problem is the smell, read how to get rid of a bad smell from your air conditioning. If you're torn between repairing and replacing, there are more pointers in repair or replace your air conditioning, and if you're in the Foia, in air conditioning repair in Ibi.