Troubleshooting Your Window Air-Conditioner

Window Mount Conditioners

If you use a window-mounted air-conditioner to keep your home cool, you know how powerful these little devices can be. Like a central AC system, a window air-conditioner has both indoor and outdoor components and when something goes wrong it can be difficult to determine where the problem lies.

Understanding Your Air-Conditioner

Inside the room you will find the evaporator coil, the part of the AC that gets cold, along with the fan or blower, the thermostat and controls, the filter and a plastic face panel.

Between the interior and exterior components is a panel that helps seal the unit in the window, preventing cool air from escaping and warm air from seeping in. This panel is usually expandable, so it is easy to customize the device to fit into your window, no matter what its size.

On the outside, you will find the air-conditioner’s compressor, the condenser and the fan that blows air across the condensing coil in order to cool it. Any moisture that collects inside the unit drains along the bottom and into a metal basin, which then drips to the outside of the house, through a hole or drain tube.

Now that you know the basics, it is time to take a look at some common in-room air-conditioner problems.

Water Dripping From the Front Panel

If you notice excess condensation or water dripping from the front of your air-conditioner, it almost always means that the drain pan is tilted incorrectly. Instead of guiding water toward the back of the unit and out of your home, the basin is allowing condensation to drain into the room.

Fortunately, correcting this problem is pretty simple. You just have to adjust the drain basin so that it tilts to the back of the unit and downward.

The Unit Cycles on and off Too Frequently

This generally indicates a problem with the unit’s thermostat or temperature sensor. Possible solutions include checking that the temperature sensor is positioned properly; near but not touching the evaporator coil. Move drapes and curtains away from the front panel. Remove leaves, branches and yard debris away from the exterior condenser. If none of these suggestions resolves the problem, call in a professional to service your AC unit, checking for refrigerant leaks and damaged components

Air-Conditioner Will Not Turn On

You could have a blown fuse, it could be a popped circuit breaker or the unit could be unplugged.

Obviously, you first want to make sure the air-conditioner is plugged in properly. If this fails to solve the problem you may have to replace the blown fuse or reset the breaker that connects to your AC’s power source.

Unit Keeps Blowing Fuses

If your AC is constantly popping the circuit breaker or blowing out fuses it usually means that it is hooked up to an inadequate power source.

Most residential window units require at least 120 volts of electricity operating off a 15amp circuit. You will need more power if your AC is larger. Run the air-conditioner from its own dedicated circuit; at least 20 amps, in order to correct the problem.

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Cauliflower Poriyal / Cauliflower Dry Curry

Cauliflower / Gobi is a delicious side dish that many of us like. Cauliflower is low in fat, but high in dietary fibre, water and vitamin C. Here I present a simple cauliflower dish that is prepared using coconut.

Ingredients:



Cauliflower - 1 small size, cut into small florets

Onion - 1 medium size, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 large

Coconut - 1/4 cup

Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Green chili - 1 no

Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon

Dhania / Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt - To taste

Oil - 3 teaspoons



Method:



1) Soak the cauliflower florets in hot water. Add a pinch of salt. Cover it and leave it aside for 10 minutes.

2) After 10 minutes, drain the water and keep them aside.

3) Take a pan and heat oil in it.

4) Add fennel seeds.

5) Once they splutter, add onion and saute them well till they turn translucent.

6) Add tomato and saute them well until they are mashed completely.

7) Add Cauliflower florets followed by red chili powder, dhania powder, sambar masala, turmeric and salt. If required add little bit water.

8) Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

9) Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and green chilli into a fine paste by adding little amount of water.

10) Add this paste to the cauliflower mixture and hustle them well.

11) Fry for 5 minutes. If you have added water, make sure it drains completely before turning the flame off.

12) Garnish with coriander leaves and your Cauliflower Poriyal is ready to be served.

Vegetable Bread Cutlets

Cutlet is nothing but a fried patty of chopped vegetables coated with breadcrumbs. Usually cutlets are deep fried in oil. Since health is a factor that everyone is concerned about, the below cutlet dish is prepared by shallow frying it in tawa / griddle using very less oil. It is good appetizer and can be served with sauce.

Ingredients:



Potato - 2 medium size

Bread - 4 nos

Mixture of beans,carrot and green peas - 1 cup,finely chopped

Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon

Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Green chillies - 1 chopped finely

Salt - To taste

Asafoetida - a pinch

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves - 2 strings, finely chopped

Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon

Bread crumbs - 1 cup

All purpose flour/Maida - 3 tablespoon

Oil - For frying



Method:



1) Cook potatoes in a pressure cooker. Once cooked and the pressure completely subsides, open the cooker lid and immediately drain the water. Let  the potatoes to cool down.

2) Peel the skin of the potato and mash it well using a steel masher or by Hand.

3) Cook / Microwave the finely chopped vegetable mixture. Then mash them well.

4) Make sure the vegetable mixture is dry. If not squeeze the excess water using a plain cloth keeping the vegetable mixture inside.

5) Cut the four corners of the bread and crush them well.

6) Take a Frying pan and heat oil in it.

7) Add cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add green chilies, ginger garlic paste, asafoetida, coriander leaves, mixture of vegetables and red chili powder.

8) Mix well and turn off the flame. Now add the mashed potato along with the crushed bread.

9) Mix all the ingredients in the pan. Mix it well.

10) Equally partition the mixture into uniform round shapes with approx one inch thickness (like a pie or pasty). Keep it aside.

11) Take maida in a bowl and prepare batter by adding little water. Dilute it to a medium range thickness. 

12) Take breadcrumbs in a wide plate.

13) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in tawa.

14) Once the oil is hot, dip the pasty / patty into batter and roll the pasty / patty in breadcrumbs. Make sure the patty is covered by breadcrumbs on all the sides.

15) Place it in a tawa for frying. Keep the flame in low level and ensure that it is not over burnt.

16) After few seconds flip it and allow it to cook on the other side.

17) Repeat this for remaining pasties.

18) Healthy Vegetable cutlet is ready. Serve it with spicy sauce or chutney.